Outside the gate of the temporary camp in Jiaxing City, Zhu Ping’an arrived on horseback with Liu Dadao and Liu Dachui, dismounting swiftly.
The area around the gate was bustling with people, and from within the camp came intermittent shouts and cheers.
Only two wolf soldiers stood guard at the gate, their identity unmistakable. Their attire was distinctive: black headscarves, black cloth jackets, wide-legged dark blue trousers, and tattoos on their foreheads.
Short in stature but exuding a fierce, untamed aura, they each held a javelin, with a small crossbow hanging at their waists.
“Stop! Who are you?” the two wolf soldiers demanded, their thick Guangxi accents unmistakable.
“This is our Governor!” Liu Dadao and Liu Dachui stepped forward.
“I am Zhu Ping’an, Governor of Zhejiang. Under the orders of the Grand Coordinator, I’ve stationed my Zhejiang troops in this camp. My men have already entered, and I’ve just returned from paying respects to the Grand Coordinator,” Zhu Ping’an said, presenting his token.
“You’re the leader of the Zhejiang troops? Hahaha, hurry in then! Your men are sparring with us in there. Word is, you’ve already lost three matches and barely won one,” the two wolf soldiers said, laughing heartily as they waved him through.
Zhu Ping’an now understood—the noise inside was from a sparring match, explaining the bursts of cheers and shouts.
“What? Three losses, one win?” Liu Dadao’s face darkened with anger. “Nonsense! How could our Zhejiang troops lose so badly to you?”
“Isn’t that normal? When have you regular troops ever beaten us wolf soldiers? Winning one match is already enough to lord it over the other troops,” the wolf soldiers replied matter-of-factly.
“You…” Liu Dadao glared.
“Pfft! Other troops don’t even compare to our Zhejiang army!” Liu Dachui fumed, glaring as well.
“Victory and defeat are common in military affairs. Let’s go see for ourselves,” Zhu Ping’an said, patting their shoulders and leading the way through the gate with his horse in tow.
“Let’s see just how great these wolf soldiers are,” Liu Dadao and Liu Dachui grumbled, following Zhu Ping’an inside.
Inside the camp, several squads of wolf soldiers patrolled. Their attire was similar to the guards at the gate, though about thirty percent wore armor—mostly cowhide, with only three in iron armor, all minor commanders.
The patrolling wolf soldiers checked Zhu Ping’an’s group again before letting them pass.
Loose on the outside, tight on the inside—this setup met Zhang Jing’s strategy of luring the Japanese pirates while preventing a real sneak attack. The wolf soldier commander clearly knew what they were doing. Zhu Ping’an mentally gave them a nod of approval.
“Young Master, the noise is coming from over there,” Liu Dadao said, pointing behind a cluster of tents.
“Let’s go check it out,” Zhu Ping’an nodded, quickening his pace toward the source of the cheers.
Soon, after passing the tents, Zhu Ping’an was greeted by a sea of people surrounding a central clearing. In the middle, two men were sparring barehanded—one from the Zhejiang army, one a wolf soldier.
“Mo La, come on! Use the strength you took down a wild boar with! Crush him! Make them lose convincingly!”
“Mo La! Mo La! Get him!”
“Get him! Get him!”
The wolf soldiers, with their thick accents, waved their arms, howling and cheering for their man.
The Zhejiang troops weren’t about to back down. Clenching their fists and waving, they shouted encouragement, “Wang Chao, where’s the grit you showed fighting for the mine? Bring it all out! Take him down! They look down on us Zhejiang troops—forget the steamed buns, fight for pride! Get him! Get him!”
“Wang Chao, get him! Get him!”
In the arena, the wolf soldier Mo La had a scar on his face and a wild boar tattooed on his forehead. His attacks were ferocious, his fists heavy, hard, and fast. Seizing an opening when Wang Chao was off-balance, he threw a punch straight at his chest, swift as the wind, leaving afterimages and a gust in its wake.
Wang Chao blocked Mo La’s punch with his arm, then countered with a straight kick, heavy as a whip.
Mo La staggered back three steps from the kick.
Wang Chao pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of whip-like kicks. Mo La stumbled backward, and the Zhejiang troops cheered excitedly. But in the next second, the tide turned. After taking two kicks, Mo La seized his chance, grabbing Wang Chao’s kicking leg with one hand and slamming his head straight into Wang Chao’s chin.
The headbutt was like a wild boar’s charge—immense in force and precise in angle, unmatched in execution.
Wang Chao’s vision went dark, and he collapsed backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
“Great! Great! Great! Mo La’s the man!”
“Get him! Get him! Get him!”
The wolf soldiers roared with excitement.
Strike while he’s down!
Mo La wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip. He pounced like a black bear on prey, diving toward the fallen Wang Chao.
“Wang Chao, watch out! Watch out!”
The Zhejiang troops shouted anxiously.
“The Governor’s here! Wang Chao, the Governor’s watching! Don’t embarrass him!”
A sharp-eyed Zhejiang soldier spotted Zhu Ping’an’s group approaching and yelled out.
“The Governor’s here!”
The words jolted Wang Chao, who’d been momentarily dazed. His eyes snapped open just in time to see Mo La diving toward him like a bear. At the critical moment, Wang Chao rolled to the side, dodging Mo La’s pounce.
Not stopping there, as Mo La landed on the empty ground, Wang Chao moved like an agile monkey, flipping onto Mo La’s back. His hands locked around Mo La’s neck, dragging him backward as he gritted his teeth and said, “Sorry, our Governor’s here. I can’t lose this one!”
Mo La, unwilling to be subdued, fought back fiercely, thrashing like a wild boar ensnared by a python.
But no matter how he struggled, the python held tight.
Wang Chao’s hands gripped Mo La’s neck relentlessly. One second, two seconds—veins bulged on Wang Chao’s hands.
Mo La’s face grew paler and paler, his struggles weaker and weaker, yet he clenched his teeth, refusing to yield…
“Enough. We concede. Let go. This round goes to the Zhejiang army,” a firm, authoritative female voice rang out. “Mo La, this is just a spar. Our lives are for crushing Japanese pirates, not for petty rivalries. You lost, so be it. Go train harder and win it back next time.”
At her words, Wang Chao released his grip and helped Mo La up. “Sorry, brother, you’re tough. Thanks for the match.”
“I got careless this time. I won’t lose next time,” Mo La said, still defiant.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Wang Chao grinned, then turned to the crowd’s edge, where Zhu Ping’an was approaching slowly. Good. I didn’t disgrace the Governor.
“Well done,” Zhu Ping’an said, clapping as he walked over.
“Not bad, kid! You had us sweating there. Thought you were done for after that headbutt. Good job—you didn’t shame us or the Governor!” The Zhejiang troops pulled Wang Chao aside, patting him, laughing, and praising his performance.
