"Beer! Beer! Get your drinks here!~" A seller loudly proclaimed as he peddled his goods across the city square with a wide smile on his face. "Who wants a beer? You want a beer! Come and get it!~"
A blazing bonfire crackled at the centre of the square, surrounding which were dozens of couples engaged in dancing and merrymaking. The sounds of their laughter and songs echoed through the night, filling the city with a sort of electric liveliness that it hadn't experienced in a long time.
The atmosphere was wild with jugglers, fire-spitters, dancers, and merrymakers entertaining the crowds. Tents were propped up in the corners as magicians and fortune-tellers tried to earn a quick buck. Child peddlers went around the crowd wearing small boxes around their necks and sold various refreshments and knick-knacks.
A huge party the likes of which the residents of this city had never even heard of, let alone participated in, was held within Lorden City's central district. No one knew who started it or how they joined the celebrations but before they knew it, most of the city was busy having fun to think about such minor details. The air was rife with excitement and the scent of alcohol.
Participating in this boisterous affair was a tall and lean scholar. A bright flush coloured his face and the scent of booze hung heavily from his robes. He kept a wide smile on his face and was busy dancing around the bonfire with a group of couples. The scholar's dancing had neither rhyme nor rhythm, however, the sheer liveliness and excitement of his moves infected the audience and prompted them to join him in this merrymaking.
Much like the residents of this town, this was also Wuzhi's first party. And it sufficed to say, he was having a blast! The youth had completely let go of all his inhibitions and enjoyed himself to the fullest. In fact, he was immersed so deeply in his enjoyment that he had completely forgotten the fact that the city was being stealthily taken by the Hielander forces.
Not that he particularly cared about it either. Wuzhi had accomplished his task of drawing the attention of all the guards and townspeople to distract them from the nightly incursion.
The scheme was simple; the Hielanders would sneak into the city at night and quietly subjugate the garrisoned forces of the city. And to do so effectively and with minimum blood loss, Wuzhi was tasked to distract everyone.
And what better way to distract everyone than to throw a grand party!
Wuzhi's steps grew more frantic and hurried as the alcohol in his blood finally rushed to his head. The cheers and claps of the audience grew ever more fervent as they encouraged the young scholar. All of them were completely inebriated and possessed no idea of the secret incursion occurring in their city.
Dancing faster and faster and faster, Wuzhi's energy finally exploded as he threw his arms into the air and screamed, "I AM FINALLY FREE!!!"
In the next instant, his vision grew dark as he passed out from overextending himself. The cheers of the crowd reached a new height and the night of the party was marked as a night that could never be forgotten.
---
It was high noon the following day when Wuzhi woke from his slumber. He jerked up with his upper body and instantly regretted his choice when a head-splitting headache tore apart his mind.
"Alcohol. Mankind's greatest vice!" he remarked, firmly noting to never partake in drinking ever again.
Overcome by the hangover, Wuzhi was of half a mind to go back to sleep. However, he knew that it was an irresponsible choice and forced himself to his feet. Looking around, he realized that someone had taken pity upon him and had lodged him in a bedroom after discovering him sometime last night.
With a hand on his head, the young scholar exited the room and descended the staircase to arrive at the ground floor. There, he saw a family of three shivering with fright in one corner as two, bulky-looking Hielanders stood alert. Belatedly putting the pieces together, he realized that these Hielanders were his guards.
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"Good morning," greeted Wuzhi, casually. "Or noon, I suppose. Dammit, even my tongue is numb." He then performed some odd movements with his tongue.
Hearing his words and noticing his arrival, the two Hielander warriors immediately lowered their heads and replied to his greeting. "We greet you, Great Warrior."
Wuzhi half-heartedly nodded his head before looking toward the shivering family. Some thinking revealed that this poor family was the owner of the lodgings which he had unceremoniously occupied. Greeting them with a pained smile, the young scholar requested. "I apologize for my rudeness; do you have something that can help me with this headache?"
The family stood petrified. A few moments later, the woman, whom Wuzhi assumed was the wife, nodded her head and carefully made her way to the kitchen under the watchful eye of the Hielander warrior. She then shuffled about before re-entering the living room with a pitcher in hand.
"H-Hangover C-Cu-re," she said. Wuzhi received the pitcher with a grateful smile and drank its contents. It tasted horrible; however, the young scholar saw immediate improvements to his state.
"Thank you. I shall never forget you for your grace," thanked the young scholar. He then set aside the pitcher and instructed the two Hielander warriors. "Leave this family alone and take me to meet Biao."
The two warriors promptly assented and guided Wuzhi to where their higher-ups were lodged. As he was led by the two warriors, the young scholar looked around at the quiet city. The streets were dirty with trash and refuse from yesterday night. Doors were windows were firmly shut and boarded. The roads were empty save for the Hielander patrols that intermittently passed.
Every so often, Wuzhi would discover bloodstains and blade marks on the ground and the walls. These scarce marks served as the only proof of the city's takeover, reminding the young scholar of his strategy's success.
As he continued to walk through the streets, he sometimes felt gazes land upon him. Wuzhi traced these gazes back to their origin, hidden behind the curtained windows. When he sometimes met eyes with the owners of these gazes, the young scholar would see them flinch and look away.
This little interaction confirmed it for Wuzhi; Lorden City was successfully overtaken. They would not have to worry about any pointless skirmishes or rebellions.
A long walk later, Wuzhi finally arrived at the destination and met with Biao. He greeted the other man with a nod and immediately got to the point. "How many casualties?"
"Three," replied Biao. Wuzhi was surprised. It seemed that his strategy worked better than he had expected it to.
"The enemy soldiers?"
"All dead. We also confirmed the body count. There are no deserters or missing personnel."
Wuzhi raised his eyebrows. "Our takeover appears to have gone down more successfully than we expected. This is a good omen."
Biao nodded his head. The Hielanders were highly superstitious and therefore saw value in such omens.
The two of them exchanged a few more words. Wuzhi laid down some instructions and Biao added his information and experience to the exchange. The young scholar was then informed that the main army of the Hielanders would arrive within the next two days.
"Once they arrive in the city, split the army into two forces as we had discussed before. The smaller, elite army will march toward the capital of the empire with the boy emperor and seize the throne. Once that is over, they will then join the frontline alongside the empire's army."
"The larger detachment will be under your command and will take the eastern route to head towards the Heavenly Spirit Empire factions' territory. There, you will wait until a majority of their forces are employed to engage with the Scarlet Demon Army before swooping from the back and inflicting devastating damage. Remember, your role is akin to the oriole." Wuzhi referred to the ancient adage, 'The mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind.'
Biao nodded his head signaling that he had understood.
"As for me, I will be heading toward the Port City of Éclair to deal with the matters there." The Hodgepodge faction, consisting of a motley crew of various sects, businesses, and interests, had designated the Port City of Éclair as their base.
They were a neutral faction that did not directly participate in the war but instead profited off of it. By making this trip, Wuzhi hoped to draw this neutral faction into the war and help the empire re-establish a firm foundation in the continent.
Once again, Biao nodded his head. He paused momentarily before placing something on the table and asked, "What should we do with these?"
Wuzhi noted the rifle on the table and realized that it was of the Mu Household's make. It was aptly named the 'MH732.'
"Keep it. Choose a few of your men and train them in it. This is the future," replied the young scholar. He saw the confusion on Biao's face but did not explain any further. Explanation or not, he would soon come to witness the terrible power of the weapon.
After spending the next few hours making arrangements, Wuzhi had an early dinner and retired for the day. The next day, he left Lorden City accompanied by ten carriages and nearly fifty Hielander warriors.
His destination: the Port City of Éclair.