Finest Servant

Chapter 528 Wondrous Medicine and Barefooted Soldiers

Lin Wanrong blinked twice, elated beyond words. "Oh my, Brother Gao, you've actually brought all these treasures with you. I admire you, I really do."

"Of course," Gao Qiu replied with unabashed pride. "These treasures are indispensable for any journey or adventure. I'm sure you, Brother Lin, must have just as many on you. Heh heh!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Lin Wanrong pulled out a paper bundle from his bosom. It was considerably larger than the one in Gao Qiu's hand. "Ah, I'm humbled. You've seen right through me, Brother Gao. As you know, I rely solely on these treasures to hold my own. Whether I am wandering the martial world or standing unyieldingly, apart from my unparalleled martial arts, it is these that deserve the most credit. Ah, such invaluable items—I'm really reluctant to use them!"

Both men chuckled wickedly, leaving Hu Bugui utterly baffled. After staring at the paper bundle for a while, he finally inquired, "Brother Gao, what on Earth are these? You talk about them as if they're treasures."

"They are treasures! Don't underestimate this paper bundle. It's the object of every young hero's affection and the nightmare of every heroine. These items are so rare, you couldn't buy them even if you had a thousand gold pieces." Gao Qiu unwrapped the paper bundle solemnly, revealing dozens of tiny medicine pouches. "See this? This one's called 'Quite the Log,' and this one 'Damsel Disrobed,' and then there's this top-quality 'Mongolian Sweat Medicine.' You wouldn't be able to buy these authentic items in reputable stores in the capital without connections."

Hu Bugui wiped his sweat-soaked brow and looked at Lin Wanrong. "General, could those be the same kind of illicit drugs in your possession?"

"What are you talking about, Brother Hu? Do you not know my character? Only lowlifes would deal in such vulgar items." Lin Wanrong straightened his face. "What I have here are exotic items that only decent people would use for spicing up their love life. Take this, for example. It's called 'Titanium Vigor Pill'—such an honorable name. It originates from the same source as the Titanium Vigor Finger technique! Just one of these tiny pills has the effect of two of Brother Gao's pouches. One pill per night, highly efficient and long-lasting, solves all your troubles. And this one is called 'Happy Fierce Wife Chant.' The name might be a bit vulgar, but its effects are even more so. Take it, and whether you're a fierce wife or a chaste woman, even if you're a wild horse or she-wolf, you will return to nature and sing joyful songs every night. These two items alone have brought the good news of joy to countless men. Compared to them, the remaining sweat medicine and laxatives are so trivial, I'd be embarrassed to even recommend them to you!"

Listening to Lin Wanrong's description of his exotic potions, Hu Bugui was drenched in sweat. After a long pause, he cautiously asked, "General, Brother Gao, are you planning to use these miraculous medicines against the Turks?"

Lin Wanrong nodded solemnly. "I am reluctant, indeed. Such wonderful items, I haven't even had the chance to test them on a few heiresses or young ladies from reputable families. And yet, I must let these nomads have the first taste. It's infuriating. But for the sake of the safety and security of our great nation, I am willing to sacrifice even my own chastity and life, let alone a bit of powder. Whether it's aphrodisiacs, laxatives, or sweat-inducing drugs, let's have the nomads taste them all, so that they know how powerful our Great Hua is.”

General Lin spoke with righteous indignation and fervor that filled the air, earning him the full admiration of Hu Bugui. After hesitating for a long while, Hu Bugui finally spoke, "General, the sacrifices you've made for our Great Hua are truly commendable. But as excellent as this medicine may be, how are we to administer it? How can we approach the Turkic camp undetected?"

Seeing Gao Qiu's smug grin, as if he already had a well-thought-out plan, Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Brother Gao, why don't you enlighten us on your ingenious strategy?"

"I never thought I'd have the chance to play the role of a military strategist," said Gao Qiu, his face flushed with excitement. Pointing to the expansive lake in the distance, he grinned, "Want to get close to the Turks without them noticing? Easy, nature has provided us with a pathway."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Hu Bugui glanced at the seemingly endless lake and had a sudden realization. "Brother Gao, you're suggesting we swim across."

Gao Qiu nodded grandly. "Many of our brothers in the army come from Weishan Lake and the Jiangzhe region; they are excellent swimmers. We can pick eight hundred to a thousand men to quietly swim across and hide near the enemy camp. Then, select a few agile and capable men to sneak into their camp and poison their food and water containers with both sleeping and aphrodisiac drugs. Those who consume the sleeping drugs will merely fall into a deep sleep, but as for those unfortunate enough to consume the aphrodisiacs... Well, you've heard what they can do, haven't you, Brother Hu? With no women around, the Turks will become so frenzied they'll jump into the lake whether they can swim or not. Our brothers hiding underwater can easily seize them. When the time is right, the rest of our forces will charge in, and the enemy will be completely eradicated."

"My, how sinister," Hu Bugui drew in a sharp breath. He wondered what would happen if hundreds of men in the Turkic camp, devoid of any women, were simultaneously affected by the aphrodisiac. The thought was tantalizing.

Although Gao Qiu's plan seemed laughable, it was not without merit. The tactic of swimming and poisoning had been employed in countless battles throughout history. Gao Qiu was simply applying existing knowledge.

"That settles it," Lin Wanrong gave a wry smile. "Brother Hu, go ahead and select men who are good swimmers. As for the one who will infiltrate the camp and administer the poison, we need someone clever and courageous. Brother Gao, since you have experience in administering such drugs—having tried them on numerous heroines—perhaps you should undertake this mission yourself."

Gao Qiu chuckled modestly, "Brother Lin, where are you getting that from? I've always believed in winning people over with virtue; emotions come first, drugs are just an auxiliary means."

Lin Wanrong burst into hearty laughter and gave Gao Qiu an approving pat on the shoulder. "You're as thick-skinned as I am, Brother Gao."

Hu Bugui pondered for a moment, then suddenly shook his head. "Ah, there's a flaw! Brother Gao, I fear your plan may fall apart."

"Why?!" Gao Qiu tensed up instantly. He had finally contributed a decent idea; it couldn't be shot down so easily. Where would he put his face then?

"Brother Gao, the drug is a good idea," Hu Bugui managed to say with a straight face, "and it would work if there were no females in the Turkic camp. However, I just remembered something that might ruin your grand plan—while they may not have women, they do have thousands of mares!"

Old Hu, that scoundrel—silent as a stone until he made a move, and then, how astonishingly he acted! The three men glanced at each other, sharing a moment of silence, before bursting into uproarious laughter.

...

The pale crescent moon hung high in the night sky, its face obscured by a few wisps of dark clouds. Its ethereal glow stretched across the vast desert plain, cold and eerie. Across the way, the Turkic camp had fires burning beside their tents. Large pots steamed over the flames; whatever they were cooking emitted a faint, pleasant aroma that spread across the plain.

Hundreds of tiny, dark spots slowly moved across the lake, appearing like floating twigs, barely noticeable. The heavens favored them; a light breeze blew from the south to the north over the plains that night, easing the soldiers' efforts as they swam across. The surface of the lake was cold, but the water below was surprisingly warm. After swimming for nearly half an hour, the group of hundreds only showed slight signs of fatigue.

"Brother Lin, are you truly known as the 'Great Tiger on Land' and the 'Little White Dragon in the River'?" Li Wuling, panting heavily, had a hard time keeping up with General Lin, who swam with ease, effortlessly switching between dog paddle, backstroke, and butterfly.

Lin Wanrong laughed and nodded, "Would I lie? Everyone knows I never lie. Hey, Little Li, where did you learn to swim? Your dog paddling actually looks decent!"

It was no empty compliment. Although young, Li Wuling was an adept swimmer, capable of following Lin Wanrong without falling behind—a feat that required true skill. No wonder he had insisted on being part of the first wave to swim across. On the other hand, the haughty Gao Qiu who had plunged into the water had been a great disappointment to Lin Wanrong. The man's dog-paddling was so atrocious it was painful to watch; his rear end nearly poked out of the water. Thankfully, his martial skills were formidable enough that, despite his clumsy technique, he managed not to fall behind.

"Never lie? Pfft!" Li Wuling mentally omitted Lin Wanrong's claim, and chuckled, "It's just swimming. When I was in the capital, no one could out-swim me. I've swum in every river and lake there. When you came to the capital on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, I had just finished swimming."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, dismissing the boast with a shake of his head.

"By the way, Brother Lin, do you remember the lantern you picked up on the river on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month?" Li Wuling gave him a mysterious look. "Heh heh, do you know who set it afloat?"

At the mention, Lin Wanrong recalled the mysterious lantern with the poem. To this day, he didn't know who the young lady behind it was.

"What, you know?" Lin Wanrong asked, intrigued.

Li Wuling chuckled, "Brother Lin, how can you be so dense? Have you ever thought about how many women in the capital are as talented and skilled as that?"

"It's Miss Xu!" Realization dawned on Lin Wanrong, and a strange feeling surged in his heart. ‘So, on my very first day in the capital, I had unknowingly picked up a lantern set afloat by Xu Zhiqing. Life indeed is full of surprises.’

Li Wuling grinned, "And there's something even more surprising. Let me tell you, when you picked up that lantern, my Aunt Xu was actually among the crowd, watching you and memorizing your face—"

"What?!" Lin Wanrong was so shocked that his mouth hung open. He almost choked on the lake water. "So you're saying, Miss Xu knew me all along? Ah, did she also arrange for us to take shelter from the rain at the Jade Buddha Temple? She was the one spying on me, and to think she even shot an arrow at me!"

Li Wuling chuckled, "I don't know about all that. You'll have to ask Aunt Xu when you get back."

‘So this young lady is quite the schemer, and she's kept it from me for so long.’ Lin Wanrong felt a warmth in his heart as he recalled the tearful expression on Xu Zhiqing's face before he left.

"Pay attention, slow down." They were less than a hundred yards from the shore. The tents and bonfires of the Turkic camp were clearly visible, and there were a few sentries patrolling back and forth. Lin Wanrong quickly reined in his playful thoughts and whispered the command to those behind him.

Hundreds of men stopped gliding across the water and drifted forward with the wind. As they neared the Turkic camp, the scene within became clearer. The Turks had clearly never dreamed that men from Great Hua would cross the lake to invade. Their tents were right by the lake, and while sentries patrolled the other three sides, the side facing the lake was laxly guarded with only a single person on duty.

Not far from the lake, a few large pots were set up on crude stakes above roaring bonfires. The aroma was tantalizing, though it was unclear what was cooking. Further away, a temporary corral was made of rough wood, holding tens of thousands of Turkic horses. Hundreds of Turks were milling about, seemingly doing a headcount.

As they drew closer, the light from the bonfires cast a red glow over the water, and the stubble-covered face of the Turkic sentry by the lake became clearly visible.

"Silence." Lin Wanrong gestured, holding his breath. The hundreds of men in the water instantly ceased moving.

Li Wuling swam over to him and whispered, "Brother Lin, I counted. There are over five hundred Turks, fewer than six hundred."

The count was in line with Lin Wanrong's own assessment. He nodded and turned to Gao Qiu, "Brother Gao, do you see that moving Turkic sentry? We're about fifty yards away from him. How certain are you that we can take him out without making a sound?"

"100%," Gao Qiu responded with full confidence.

"Good!" Lin Wanrong ordered softly, "Li Wuling, take two of our best swimmers to cover Brother Gao as he goes. Remember, the sentry must not notice anything."

With the enemy so close, Li Wuling was exhilarated by the chance to do something so daring. He quickly selected two skilled swimmers and began to submerge slowly with Gao Qiu. Four small, hollow bamboo stalks peeked out just above the water's surface, looking like fishing floats, moving slowly with the wind.

The Turkic sentry was sitting on a rock, tearing viciously into a piece of half-cooked lamb. He had no idea that hidden just beneath the water were Great Hua's elite forces.

Thirty yards, twenty yards, ten yards... As Li Wuling and his men inched closer, everyone involuntarily held their breaths. Lin Wanrong clenched his fists tightly, watching the floating bamboo stalks, feeling his heart rise with anticipation.

The foremost float slowly rose, and Li Wuling's head stealthily emerged, like a buoyant gourd. Just as he was about to move, something unexpected happened. The Turkic sentry suddenly stood up and glanced at the lake.

Discovered? Sweat beads trickled down Lin Wanrong's forehead as he tightly gripped the hilt of his war sword, prepared to fight.

The Turk muttered something under his breath as he ambled toward the lakeside. His heavy footsteps resonated in the hearts of everyone present. All the soldiers' hearts raced, their swords gripped tightly underwater, ready for combat at any moment.

Li Wuling had just submerged his head back into the water when the Turk stepped closer, unfastening his trousers. The sound of a stream of water splashing made Lin Wanrong both irritated and amused.

"Nomads, morally corrupt, utterly conscienceless!" Lin Wanrong mentally hurled every harsh word he could think of at the Turk, but it did nothing to quell his rising anger. To urinate in such clear lake water, not only polluting the environment but treating him like a urinal, was simply intolerable.

Hu Bugui clenched his teeth in rage, "Damn it, how dare he flaunt that little thing in front of me? Just wait, I'll have Old Gao castrate him later."

After relieving himself, the Turk let out a satisfied sigh and turned to grab a piece of mutton, chewing heartily.

"Uncivilized swine," Lin Wanrong cursed under his breath. Ahead of him, Gao Qiu couldn't hold back any longer. He slowly surfaced, honing in on the Turk's location. With a soft splash, he sprang from the water like a fish, silently approaching the guard. With a fierce palm strike, he hit the Turk square on the back of the neck.

The Turk fell silently. Li Wuling and two other comrades quickly emerged from the water, taking cover behind a large rock.

Their movements were clean and swift. Most of the Turk's attention was on counting their war horses; they had considered the lake to be the most secure location, and most of their guards were stationed elsewhere. Who would have thought something would go awry on what should have been their safest front?

No other sounds were heard apart from distant shouts from Turks counting war horses. Old Gao quickly stripped the fallen Turk, hastily putting on his clothes. With his burly physique and full beard, once he adjusted the feather on his felt hat, from a distance, he looked just like a real Turk.

The first skirmish was won; hundreds of soldiers underwater began to move silently forward, nearing the lakeside.

Old Gao stood up, viciously stepping on the remains of the mutton the Turk had been eating. Not satisfied, he spat on it, picked up the meat, and strode toward a large pot billowing with oily smoke.

"Monza, qoy tuysy zhäne seniń äyeliń, qaysysy dämi jaqsy?" A Turk called out, chuckling as Old Gao wobbled toward the large pot.

Lin Wanrong tensed up. Old Gao didn't speak Turkic. He turned to Hu Bugui, "Brother Hu, what did the Turk say?"

Hu Bugui, experienced in fighting the Turks and fluent in their language, chuckled, "He asked: Meng Zha, which tastes better, the lamb leg or your woman?"

Lin Wanrong's tension peaked just as Old Gao yelled out something in reply. Lin Wanrong didn't understand, but the Turks in the distance burst into laughter. Even Hu Bugui couldn't help but squint his old eyes in amusement, "Not bad. Brother Gao's Turkic is pretty fluent!"

Lin Wanrong's mouth fell open, "Brother Hu, Old Gao actually speaks Turkic?"

Hu Bugui nodded, "Brother Gao has been with me these past few days and has learned this phrase. He's practiced it so well that he's even more proficient than the Turkic people."

"So Old Gao is quite the diligent student," Lin Wanrong said, curious. "What does the phrase mean?"

"That's hard to translate," Hu Bugui replied, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's a greeting to the mothers of the Turkic people."

Lin Wanrong burst into laughter. "Ah, Old Gao truly knows how to avoid getting the short end of the stick."

While they were talking, Gao Qiu had calmly walked over to the large pots, tossing in both the lamb and the medicinal powder. He stirred it vigorously, and then sauntered around a few times before leisurely returning to his lookout post.

The Turks finished counting their warhorses and returned to the bonfire in small groups. They grabbed the meat from the pot and began devouring it. Some even took out wineskins, filling the entire camp with a strong aroma of alcohol. Unperturbed by the presence of others, they feasted and drank to their hearts' content. Seeing this, Gao Qiu gestured excitedly to Lin Wanrong.

The Turks drank wildly for nearly an hour before they finally dispersed. Lin Wanrong was growing increasingly impatient. "Why hasn't anything happened yet? Could the medicine have expired? If I'd known, I would have tested it first."

Just as he was getting anxious, a Turk suddenly burst out of a tent near the lake, his beard curled upwards and face flushed red. He screamed and scratched his chest violently, startling even Gao Qiu.

Seeing Old Gao, the Turk lunged at him, pinning him to the ground and rubbing his face against him frantically. The man was incredibly strong, and Old Gao struggled to free himself. Panicked, Old Gao finally managed to kick him away and pointed frantically towards the lake, "Water, water, over there!"

The Turk, his mind clouded, couldn't tell if it was Chinese or his own language being spoken. Seeing the expanse of water before him, he jumped into the lake with a splash.

Before Old Gao could catch his breath, dozens more Turks rushed out from the tents, their eyes bloodshot and acting like madmen, grabbing anyone they could see.

"My God!" Realizing the consequences of feeding people aphrodisiacs, Gao Qiu's legs gave way, and he too splashed into the lake.

Realizing that water could douse their 'fire', a few slightly more lucid Turks followed Gao Qiu's lead and jumped into the lake. The others followed suit, causing splashes in the lake as hundreds of Turks plunged in one after the other.

‘Ah, using this medicine really is inhumane,’ Lin Wanrong shook his head and chuckled. Like underwater dragons, his eight hundred warriors firmly held the Turks underwater.

"Uly Hua jayau joldasynyn kütpegen üzgerisi!" A fierce Turk suddenly burst out from a central tent, swinging his saber and shouting loudly.

Hu Bugui translated, "It seems like he's the leader. He's saying that it's a surprise attack by the Great Hua cavalry!"

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, surging from the water and leading the charge. "I am not a cavalryman; I am a barefoot soldier. Brothers, let's show these Turks just how fierce we are—Charge!"

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