Chapter 9: The Heavenly Army's Descent

  After Leiyin and Yang Tianyou left, they went to the grocery store in the town to buy some seasonings suitable for outdoor use, prepared some dry food and other daily necessities, and spent a total of 20 cents. Then, the two inquired about the direction of the battlefield, stayed overnight in the town for four cents, and set off northwest at dawn to join the army.

  Two people each carried a large bundle on their backs, slung a short bow diagonally, and held a brown hardwood Tang knife. They were dressed as skilled martial artists, but they were still too small in stature, having only grown a few centimeters taller in the past three months, still just over 1.3 meters tall. With the morning light on their backs and accompanied by the quiet chirping of birds, the two people strolled casually along the three-meter-wide dirt path through the mountains, but their speed was not to be underestimated - with each step, they could cover three or four meters, and in the blink of an eye, they would disappear around a bend in the road.

  As the sun approached noon, the two of them stopped to rest by a babbling brook, blowing in the refreshing mountain breeze, which dissipated much of the sweltering heat of late summer. Yang Tian munched on dry rations and asked: "Lei Meng, do you think our little physique will be wanted by the army? I think it's a bit uncertain."

  "Hmm, it's a bit of a problem. Our bodies will take another two or three years to grow back into human form. But I didn't say I wanted to join the army, I just want to see how others fight." Lei Meng said thoughtfully.

  Yang Tian thought it was a waste of time and immediately turned black-faced, saying: "What's so good to look at?"

  "Then what can you do with your childish appearance?"

  Yang Tian fell silent.

  Lei Meng continued, "In the army, you can cook, in the fields, you can herd cattle, at home, you can raise chickens?" Seeing Yang Tian still silent, Lei Meng couldn't help but laugh and say, "I was just teasing you! We should still try to find opportunities to join the army. Chinese history books are full of records of young people joining the military, so we still have a chance. Moreover, if we want to do something big, we need to have enough manpower and resources, and joining the army can give us more power to command others. This is one of the faster methods."

  "What if I can't get in?" Yang Tian regained some confidence and raised his own question.

  Lei Meng shrugged his shoulders and said, "Planning is done by man, but success is determined by heaven. If we can't make it here, then let's just leave and go find the emperor to ask for a job, or go somewhere else to carve out our own territory, or if all else fails, just roam the world."

  "What's scary? It's so hard from the start?" Yang Tian sighed: "I was thinking about how to show off my skills after I had people and things."

  "We can actually get into the army. Behead the opposing commander, bring a few heads over, and they'll want us. If not, I'll behead him too!" Lei Meng also started to get fierce.

  Yang Tian took a deep breath of cold air: "Damn, Lei Meng, I didn't know you had such a crazy side. Oh, wait, you did before, or else we wouldn't be here."

  "Haha, last time was an accident, an accident." Lei Meng rubbed his head apologetically and then patted Yang Tian's shoulder, saying: "But we're fine now, aren't we?"

  "Alas, bad luck! Alright, let's go!" Yang Tian threw away the dry rations he hadn't finished eating and led the way forward, with Lei Ming hastily following behind.

  As the red sun rose, Lei Meng and Yang Tian finally turned over the mountain pass and saw in the distance a camp with more than 100 neat tents about 500-600 meters away. At this time, smoke was rising from the camp, and the sound of pots and pans clanging filled the mountains. Seeing this scene, Lei Meng couldn't help but think: If two teams of cavalry were to launch a surprise attack, they would likely suffer heavy casualties.

  Yang Tian sneered, "A camp like this can be destroyed with just two cavalry teams." Lei Ming rolled his eyes and added, "But you don't have any cavalry. Moreover, the terrain here is all mountains, even if we had cavalry, they wouldn't be able to run far." He certainly wouldn't say that he also thought so.

  Yang thought for a moment and smiled complacently: "There should be an advance guard, but there are only two of us, and our lightness skills are good, so they didn't discover us."

  "Alright, we're on the main road! How could we not know? It's just that I haven't seen any masters around here before, so I don't know what level you and I are at?" Lei Meng retorted.

  When the two walked to the front of the camp more than 100 meters, the two halberd-wielding soldiers standing at the gate just stared straight at them, only looking too small and didn't come forward to ask questions. When the two walked to the outside of the gate twenty meters, the soldier on the left shouted: "The two little kids in front, stop! This is a military camp!"

  The two men stopped in their tracks, and Yang Tian shouted loudly: "We want to see your leader! We want to join the army!"

  "Haha~ haha~" The two guards couldn't help but burst out laughing. The soldier on the left said, "Go home and herd cows instead. You're too young, you can't fight yet."

  At this time, a patrol of eleven men came out from behind the camp, and the leader shouted: "What's going on!"

  "Report to the captain, two kids are outside the camp gate saying they want to join the army!" The soldier on the left turned around and shouted loudly.

  "Hah~hah~hah~" The other soldiers also burst out laughing when they saw the two little kids.

  The captain didn't smile, he thought to himself, this surrounding area is all desolate mountains and wild ridges, but there aren't any households living here, it's a bit unusual. He then shouted: "Don't laugh! If you guys had this kind of ambition earlier, the Dark Heaven would have been destroyed already!" The laughter stopped, he continued to order: "Bring two children up here!"

  A soldier with a sword ran out of his squad from outside the gate and led Lei Meng and Yang Tian to the captain. Just as Yang Tian was about to explain their intention, the captain saw that although the two were small in stature, they were all carrying knives and bows on their backs, and walked with strength, fearing that there might be deceit, he shouted: "Take them down!" The soldiers behind the captain immediately surrounded them in a circle, surrounding the captain and Lei Meng, and simultaneously drew out bronze swords pointing at the two.

  Yang Tian's face turned red with rage, and with a swift motion, he drew out the Tang knife from his hand. Immediately after, a series of clashing sounds "clang clang" and "thud thud" filled the air, followed by the sound of bodies hitting the ground and cries of pain. The soldiers surrounding him fell back two meters, some with swords broken in half, mouths bleeding, and struggling to get up. Yang Tian reappeared, panting slightly, his appearance somewhat disheveled.

  The captain was about to erupt in anger when he suddenly heard a "swish" sound, felt a chill on the left side of his neck, and his scalp went numb. It turned out that Lei Meng had drawn his Tang knife and placed it against the captain's neck. Lei Meng said in a clear and slightly menacing tone: "Don't move, call your leader! We're here to surrender!"

  "Alright...alright, I'll have someone go and invite the leader." The captain's voice was a bit shaky as he ordered: "Get one of the ones who isn't dead to go and invite General Tong over!" The soldier guarding the left side of the gate took off running into the camp.

  Before long, a steady breath came, and the wailing sound gradually subsided. Lei Meng and Yang Tian looked towards the source of the breath, and saw a tall, thin, white-faced, bearded middle-aged military officer with two attendants and the soldier who had reported the news walking steadily from the camp passage. Standing still ten meters away, the officer's hoarse but majestic voice said: "This official is the highest commander here. You two young friends, I don't know where you come from, what brings you to this place?"

  Yang Tian heard another suspicious inquiry and couldn't help but get furious, just about to lash out and knock them down too when Lei Meng shouted: "Yang Tian, don't be rash!" Yang Tian suppressed his anger and didn't move, while Lei Meng continued to say to the officer: "We come from a small town in the rear, we're here to join the army."

  "Anything for identification?" the officer asked.

  The thunder also annoyed, swept over the officer's side, standing two meters behind the officer. The two guards were tense and drew their swords, and the surprised officer suddenly found that a few strands of hair fell from the left eye corner, changing surprise to joy, laughing loudly: "Good! It was the official who was too cautious." Two little friends, please sit down below. Then turned around and walked towards the commander's tent with big strides.

  Yang Tian, who was gradually calming down from his anger, nodded and the two of them walked towards the commander's tent, basking in the last rays of the setting sun.

  In the commander's tent, the two of them sat down on the left side of the host seat. Two guards stood at the entrance of the tent, and four or five lanterns were lit inside, making it quite bright. The officer said: "Two young friends, please sit for a while, we'll eat and chat." Then he ordered the soldiers to prepare the wine table. Lei Ming and his companion nodded silently, sitting quietly waiting.

  Then, the officer said sincerely: "Let me introduce myself formally. My surname is Tong, my name is Wen Zheng, and I am the commander of this department." Lei Ming also introduced himself properly: "I am Lei Ming." Then he pointed to Yang Tian and said: "He is my brother Yang Tian." Yang Tian bowed his hands in courtesy. Commander Tong returned the courtesy and said: "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you!" At this time, the soldiers brought fragrant roasted meat and wine to each table.

  Tong Dashuai filled a bowl with wine, raised the bowl and invited: "Today, I have the good fortune of two young heroes coming to join us, which increases our strength. Tong certain will drink first as a toast!" He tilted his head and drank the cup dry. Lei Meng and Yang Tian saw this and also quickly filled a bowl and raised it to drink, Yang Tian drinking it all in one gulp, while Lei Meng only took a sip. "Good capacity for wine!" Tong Dashuai praised, then poured another cup, just about to raise it when Lei Meng stopped him: "General, wait! We are young and should not drink too much, let's eat something instead." Tong Dashuai nodded his head in approval, put down the wine bowl and said: "Please!"

  At the subsequent banquet, Tong Dashuai and Yang Tian drank a few more bowls, probably drinking about 8 taels. The bowl that Leiming had left half of was still there. Yang Tian's face turned red and his neck thickened as he spoke incoherently, praising Tong Dashuai: "General... strict military discipline, we... at the gate... made a scene, but didn't have too many soldiers gather to watch. I admire you!" He finished speaking and repeatedly bowed with his hands clasped together.

  Tong Da Shuai burst out laughing, his bright smile illuminated by the firelight. The rosy glow on his cheekbones stood out against his pale complexion, giving him a slightly eerie appearance. He chuckled and said, "Those rabbits were sent by me to ambush you from outside, otherwise they would have surrounded you two in eight layers!"

  "Even if you surround me again... I'll still... be the same... and knock you down!" Yang Tian stood up, swaying slightly, and said angrily.

  Lei Meng was startled when he heard the thunder, thinking that Tong Da Shuai was indeed capable, and fortunately did not let Yang Tian Luan come; tonight's venting, the frustration of the failed experiment that had been lingering here should also be gone by now. Lei Meng quickly pulled Yang Tian to sit down, apologetically smiling: "General, please forgive him, Yang Tian is drunk."

  Tong Dashuai smiled and said: "No harm done, this is true nature." Then he shouted: "Someone, help the two little heroes to the account room to rest."

  Immediately, a guard outside the account door responded with a "yes", and came in to lead Lei Meng and others to rest.