Chapter 46:

Chapter 46

~~~~Min Min~~~~

I've always enjoyed war. The clash of steel, the battle that is waged across the mind, body and soul of all involved, the end result of decades of planning, I enjoy all of it and more.

Many do not think like I do, they consider war a distasteful thing, something done because we need to, not because it is an enjoyable thing, but it is for this reason that I am the Core Elder of the Pavilion of Martial Thought.

It is my duty to look over what we have, look over what we think our enemies might have and find ways to make sure we end up better off than our enemies in any conflict we have to fight.

"How quaint." I observed fondly.

The civilians are on a hunt, a hunt for cherry booted animals, but a hunt nonetheless.

"I still don't understand what you find so interesting about this sort of conflicts Min Min." Mao Ma observed.

"I find it strange that you do not care, even when those hunted are your kin." I replied flatly.

He did not care for anything below, even when the ones fighting are meant to be his kin. Animals may be animals, but kin is kin as well and the bonds of the bannermen are thick.

I myself was born under the Southern Lemon banner, and despite there being centuries since I joined the sect I still feel a fondness for the banner and I do make it a priority to be familiar with what is going on with it and make connections and have done so by helping Shen with guiding the lemon bannermen with choosing their supplies.

I'll probably take one of them as a disciple too if their prove adept at understanding war or learn to enjoy it.

Mao Ma on the other hand doesn't care. Few of the practitioners or elders that were born under the Cherry Tree Banner care to even keep in touch with any member of their banner once their parents or siblings die of old age and sometimes they stop caring the moment they enter the sect.

"I care little for conflicts that ultimately mean nothing Min Min, neither of those groups here will pass. The cherries are animals as always and the leader of this group does not have what it takes to pass through the barriers. Unless one of the fools attempting to solo the barrier gets lucky then the trial is over." He said gruffly.

That was true, every part of the trial until the final barrier can be done alone, but the barrier requires a group to make sure one can pass the Gray World Illusion. It's possible to pass without a group, three have succeeded since we decided to add it with one of them being my own disciple due to his own love for strategy, but it is very difficult and it is more luck than skill that decides it.

"You are dodging the question and you know it." I chastised gently.

That annoyed him, I could see it in the way his head swayed. All dialogue is a conflict, a conflict of wits where one gets the end result they want.

It may be a piece of information you crave, or it may be putting your fellow disciple on the path to finally facing his own heart demons.

"We have this conversation once every few years, you already know the answer Min Min." He said with a huff.

I gave him a soft smile.

"Yes, and each time the answer you give is not the one I want."

His words were true, we have been fighting this battle for fifty years and for fifty years I have lost. Each year he would give me an answer, and while he would not lie, the answer he gave me was not the one pressing him.

"I do not care for my former clan and banner Min Min, it's been decades since the last individual I cared for in them died and I celebrated." He answered tiredly.

For a split second he looked like master Fu Jian, the same constantly tired expression that told the world he was tired with it, the same eyes devoid of emotion and even the tone was similar to the one he used when asked him when we can kill some spiders or 'researchers'.

I did not like that look, both men were far too caught up in their regrets and anger they tried to mask as 'tiredness'.

"And yet each year you are looking for good seed among the banner you were born under." I observed.

His face twisted and I decided to let the matter drop for now, there was always next year to try and get the answer I seek. Perhaps if a good seed is found it will allow him to drop his guard enough to let slip an answer?

'Hmm… That could work, but how?'

Perhaps I could start calling in some favors to make sure that one of the less shitty clans are allowed a few more positions so that they make a single squad and are less likely to be caught in with the rest of their kin. If that worked, then we could get some good seeds for Mao Ma to take in and grow.

There is the risk they would all fail, so I'll have to discuss with little Shen to see if it would mess with her plans to cleanse the cherry banner of the rot without getting too overt. Any loss in possible good seeds for even a generation would essentially cripple our efforts to restore the cherries to something approaching respectability once the weapon testing is done and we no longer need to keep up the charade.

"The fight is about to start." I shouted out to everyone also watching.

There were five elders looking down from the sky at the developing little conflict. We were too far for the Aspirants to hear me, even without the barrier erected by Mao Ma, so I could be a bit bolder than normal.

"It doesn't look like they would go today, they look like they are getting cold feet." Feng Kong observed as he flew to my side.

"I know war and conflict better than most, some are nervous and having doubts, but all of them are armed and have noticed that they have the advantage in numbers, the cherries have also grown lax from their feast so this is emboldening the larger group." I replied.

The cherry bannermen were trained as warriors, most of the twenty still left at least, even if they weren't very civilized and likable. They had little issue actually hunting mad beasts when they put their mind to it, which meant that they had easy access to meat.

Their latest catch of the last boar in the area was meant to be their last big meal before they decided to rush the mountain and attempt to finish the trial. They even looked like they could genuinely pass it, which would remove any chance at life they would have as the sect reserves its right to kill any trash that tries to enter into itself.

Failed aspirants on the other hand have their memories of the trial removed from their mind and depending on their performance might get certain positions in service of the sect in recognition of their talents.

Nobody would come for the trials if the only options were death or becoming a cultivator after all, the degrees to which one fails determines if they get something out of it or they return home broken and in need of fixing with no recollection as to why.

"Yes, I see it now, you were right as always Min Min." Fu Kong answered with gratitude.

The others muttered similar things except Mao Ma who remained silent. The large group's slings started to spin as all of us were watching.

"Why aren't slings in use as a weapon by the banners? They look quite useful." Yang Chu, one of the elders responsible for logistics, asked.

He was my junior and the one most likely to replace me should I be the one to Ascend as sect master.

"The bannermen don't use them due to low accuracy at long range, slower reload times than bows and the fact that proper ammo is easy to take and reuse by the enemy. Those stones they picked up will crack after one throw if they're lucky and might cause some bruises and broken bones. You need lead bullets or other things similarly heavy if you want to make the most of them and I don't need to remind you why that's a bad idea." I answered.

"Fucking lead." Mao Ma cursed at the reminded that lead existed.

Nobody else had anything nice to say about it, because lead was lead. It had no other use but making our lives hard which is why the spiders loved it so much.

Slings are one of the weapons me and my predecessor have been researching to see if they could be useful over the centuries. They are easy to use but hard to master for mortals. Ammo is plentiful, but good ammo is rare and it is a terrifyingly effective weapon in the hands of someone that knows to use it.

The biggest issue for it is that we already have other ranged weapons that can fulfill the needs that slings can , like bows and crossbows and torsion siege weapons or even rockets. If we had some heavy materials we can actually use to serve as proper ammo then they might find a place in our arsenal but as it is we have better options for the banners and the few cultivators that bother with ranged weapons.

"And that's the first volley, think they'll get many more before the cherries engage?" Mao Ma observed just as said volley hit the cherries.

Most of the shit covered rocks missed, but one of them managed to hit the pot much to the anger of both parties, the lucky woman that managed to hit said shot already cringing.

"Only two hits." I observed.

One hit the leg of a woman creating what will soon become a light bruise on the newly ascended cultivator. The other was far more effective as it hit the eye of one of the cherries.

"I think that'll leave a mark." A woman chipped in.

None of us acknowledged the shadows' words, that hit would do a lot more than leave a mark if it was not treated. The second volley had to deal with armed charging cultivator and was paradoxically even more successful due to it.

"Three hits and one kill, impressive." I observed.

It was especially so as there were only seven slingers.

"The same woman had two lucky shots." Fu Kong said.

Yes, it made one wonder if the first shot wasn't intended to spoil the meal which will have to be investigated. If she admits under a charm that it was intentional then it's unlikely she'll receive a posting, especially as her talents seem suited for ranged fighting. I made a mental note of it and moved on.

"The cherries are about to find out why javelins are a part of their banner's skirmisher units." I declared.

None of the bannermen came armed with javelins due to the fact that they would have added unnecessary weight on their travel which was a shame. Javelins are quite deadly against unarmored enemies lacking even shields, and the lemons were very quick to seize on that idea and made the civilians plenty of javelins.

The third volley hit them which injured several of them and even managed to cause one of the cherries to stumble, but no kills.

Now the slingers started running back towards the edge of the forest, their enemies fast on their heels.

"You won't be able to hide!" The leader of the bannermen shouted as he saw the slingers approach the forest.

His subordinates gave a mighty war cry and redoubled their efforts of catching the runners.

None of them noticed the hidden javelin throwers until ten javelins flew at the to hit four people, none of them missing and yet wasting their shots by hitting the same individuals twice.

This caused a ripple among the bannermen which slowed their charge significantly.

Cultivation increases your reaction time as well as your ability to process information, which meant that the hit cultivators had enough time in-between volleys to realize what was happening and react. This was unfortunate for them, as it allowed the javelinmen enough time for a second volley while the bannermen tried to deal with the wounded blocking their path.

"Almost half of them dead by ranged weapons." Fu Kong observed, his tone showing far more surprise than I was expecting.

"I don't see what's so surprising, without armor or shields ranged weapons would dominate the battlefield." I answered.

The man shook his head.

"I know that, I am just surprised at how effective the Aspirants were. They only had days to learn to use them, and the fact they were that effective after so little training with their weapons is strange to me. It takes months to train someone to use a sword or bow and make them less likely to hurt themselves than the enemy, days to achieve the same with a spear. They had what a day of proper training with ranged weapons?" He clarified.

Ah, in that light his surprise made sense. Few people bother with ranged weapons during the trial. There's few people that bother coming with slings, almost nobody expects to need a bow and few bother to ever bring javelins because nobody knows that the last trial will have open air fighting.

The current prevailing theories among the city dwellers were that the Aspirants are doing either a type of one-on-one tournament or some sort of elements resistance gauntlet where the ones that can survive a series of natural environments for enough time will be able to enter the sect. This is by design and it took me far too much to bring them to this point where they are deeply wrong and yet their 'training' is somewhat useful.

"Yes, ranged weapons tend to be like that, armor and shields developed primarily to deal with them and melee weapons become better to deal with armor and then armor becomes better to deal with both. What you are seeing is the perfect scenario for ranged weapons to operate in. The banners and the spiders know better than to charge without armor on the open field unless they have no choice. Training is less important when every single other part of the scenario favors you. Also cultivation gives you some instincts for how this sort of thing goes as you are well aware." I explained.

The other man nodded at my explanation and we were back to watching the slaughter.

"It does look like the fighting is over." Mao Ma declared.

He was correct. Following the ambush the civilians' numerical advantage became more than three-to-one before they ran out of javelins which made the remaining twenty aspirants armed with a variety of improvised spears all the deadlier.

Their leader led the counter-charge as his direct subordinates immediately went on enveloping the cherries to prevent running. They failed, or perhaps it was planned? They were fast but not fast enough to not leave an opening for the bannermen to take and doom themselves.

Individuals are less likely to fight when they know they are defeated and they have a way to run. Whether it was planned or not the tactic was effective as most tried to run when they spotted so many armed individuals running and screaming towards them and the lack of fighting made them far easier to kill.

"I would like to know if allowing them a way to run was planned to maximize the killing, did anyone listen in on their planning?" I asked.

"They did plan it." Another one of the elders answered.

"They did." The shadow confirmed, from somewhere.

None of us could sense where she was exactly, not without starting to use artifacts and talismans that would make us visible to the Aspirants too, but we could sense her nearby.

We ignored her, we had bigger things to fry.

One of the runners was killed by ranged weapons, but the second escaped much to the jeers of the winners who managed a nearly flawless victory with no death on their part. The victors acted as they always do, with cheers and hugs as the reality of what they just did hit them.

"That about sums up the Trial I believe, unless anyone thinks the group will hold or manage to brave the inner barrier?" I asked.

Groups like this quickly fracture once their victory is done due to a variety of reasons, but primarily due to no longer having a central enemy to keep them focused. Sometimes they even end up killing one another, but that is rare. Most of the time they just separate and try to brave the last bit of the trial alone as their food and water starts running out.

Everyone scoffed at my words, no they weren't expecting them to pass. Maybe if it was only their leader and his trusted subordinates they might be able to pass as well, but most of his direct subordinates came from other friend groups that are more likely than not to separate from each other.

He might be able to keep a few with him, but even then the lack of a clear coordination and trust beyond his inner circle would keep them from realizing the tricks in the formation.

"I hope Shen Xifeng can come observe before the group breaks apart, she likes seeing how that sort of thing happens, especially if they manage to do it with some coherency or peace." Fu Kong observed

"There's no need for hope, I'll go find her and take on the ones she's watching." Mao Ma declared sharply and flew away before any of us could respond.

I sighed, he cares little for his former bannermen my ass. Those were not the actions, nor the tone of someone that didn't care.