Seven days was enough time for He Yan's leg to fully recover. Although the injury on his hand was not completely healed, as long as he did not practice with his bow or spear, it would not hinder his daily activities.
During these seven days of waiting, the day of the battle for the flag finally arrived.
Liang Ping came to visit He Yan the night before the battle for the flag and asked He Yan how he was doing. He Yan was afraid that he would not be allowed to participate in the battle for the flag, so he hurriedly said, "Very good, very good, very good. Liang Jiaotou, do you want to exchange a few moves with me? "
Liang Ping thought of the equestrian archery competition he had with He Yan and felt embarrassed. He immediately coughed lightly and said, "No need, as long as you are fine. Come up the mountain with us tomorrow."
After he left, He Yan almost cheered out loud.
Hong Shan smiled and said, "You finally got what you wanted."
"I don't know what the battle for the flag is like." Xiao Mai looked at He Yan and pleaded, "After A He Ge goes down the mountain, you must tell us word by word."
"Isn't your brother going up the mountain as well? Why are you only asking A He? "Hong Shan said.
"My brother won't tell us." Xiao Mai curled her lips.
There were tens of thousands of new recruits in the Liangzhou Guard. Of course, not all of them would go up the mountain to compete for the flag. Moreover, they were selecting for the Vanguard Battalion, so they only selected those who performed exceptionally well on the training field. Xiao Mai and Hong Shan could only be considered average and were not part of the battle for the flag. In their room, only Shi Tou and He Yan were selected to go up the mountain.
"The injury on your hand is not completely healed." Hong Shan was worried for He Yan. "When the time comes, don't fight recklessly. If you can't beat them, run, understand? The entire Liangzhou Guard knows that you are strong, so it doesn't matter who wins or loses. "
"A He Ge will be at a disadvantage like this." Xiao Mai felt indignant. "If A He Ge wasn't injured, A He Ge would definitely be first."
"It's okay." He Yan comforted her. "Even if I'm injured, I'll still be the first."
When the others in the room heard this, they all laughed.
"It's here again! Our Arena Master He is going to set up an arena on the mountain again. Does anyone want to bet on biscuits? "
"Bet my ass! I haven't even paid back what I lost last time!"
He Yan's heart relaxed a little amidst the clamor. In fact, she hadn't "competed for the flag" in a long time, and her memories of the last time weren't too good. She wasn't the one who performed the most brilliantly, so no one knew what the result would be this time.
However, compared to the results of the battle for the flag, the most important thing was their performance during the battle for the flag. If they wanted to join the Nine Flags Battalion, they wouldn't just be looking at the results of this test. Presumably, all the instructors were hiding in the dark on Mount Baiyue and had a panoramic view of their performance. The person who performed the best might have the chance to enter the Nine Flags Battalion.
Therefore, rather than calling this a competition, it would be better to call it a performance. From beginning to end, there was only one person in the audience, and that was Second Young Master Xiao. She had to put in a hundred and twenty percent effort and make every step beautiful and thoughtful in order to win Xiao Jue's favor.
She should be able to do it.
Outside the Guard Institute, Shen Han cupped his hands in greeting to Xiao Jue. "Commander in chief, everything is ready."
Green Ears kicked a few times to the side. Xiao Jue stroked its head and said, "Let's go."
Shen Han nodded. Suddenly, he remembered something. "About Young Master Cheng …"
"I've already sent people to protect him in the dark. Don't worry." He looked in the direction of Mount Baiyue. "It's about time. Let them depart immediately."
Shen Han replied, "Yes, sir."
He Yan arrived at the training field. He didn't see Liang Ping, but he saw Du Mao. Du Mao held a booklet in his hand and called out He Yan and Shi Tou's names. The two of them went forward and saw Jiang Jiao, Huang Xiong, and Wang Ba standing on the side.
"Five people form a group during the flag battle. You're in the same group." Du Mao said, "After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, you'll depart on foot and head to Mount Baiyue. Don't cross the mountain. There are red flags everywhere on the mountain. You'll have to return before sunset. " After a pause, he continued, "There will be thirty groups of recruits going up the mountain. The group with the most flags will be the winner."
"There are weapons on the weapons rack. Quickly pick a suitable one. Crossbows can't be used. During the flag battle on Mount Baiyue, don't hurt your comrades. Don't overdo it. Don't hurt your own life. Don't worry about your comrades. "
They all nodded.
Jiang Jiao chose the long spear that he was good at. Huang Xiong took his golden broadsword. Wang Ba was good at crossbows, but crossbows couldn't be used in this battle. Therefore, he chose a phoenix head axe, which looked very cool. Shi Tou took an iron head stick. Everyone looked at He Yan and thought He Yan was going to take the Mandarin Duck Saber. Unexpectedly, she took a nine-section whip from the rack.
"You …" Shi Tou was a bit hesitant. They all knew that He Yan was good with the saber, crossbow, and spear, but they didn't know how good she was with the whip. In the end, the whip didn't look as impressive as the saber or sword.
"You'll know when we get to the mountain." He Yan smiled. "Let's go."
They each took their own weapons and rushed towards Mount Baiyue.
Du Mao laughed loudly behind them and said, "I'll be waiting for your good news here. Go, boys!"
The birds in the forest were startled and flew in all directions. The people disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye. Ma Damei and Liang Ping came from afar, each leading a horse. Ma Damei said to Liang Ping, "It's almost time. Let's go."
Thirty teams and more than a hundred new recruits were in Mount Baiyue. They were like fish in the sea, unable to see anything. Just as they stepped into the forest, Wang Ba suddenly said, "Wait!"
They stopped and looked at him. "What?"
"Someone went up the mountain before us. What if they're lying in ambush in the forest and we step into a trap?"
"Don't worry," He Yan said with a smile. "The battle for the flag has just begun. Everyone is busy fighting for the flag. We don't have a single flag in our hands right now. What's the use of ambushing us? I guess everyone is going to … the Shannan White Stone. "
"Why the Shannan White Stone?" Jiang Jiao asked.
"Shi Tou, show them the map." He Yan looked at Shi Tou.
Shi Tou took out a roll of paper from his bosom and slowly unfolded it. There were several red dots drawn on the paper, but they were only general directions. Every team that fought for the flag was given a map. The location of the flag was indicated on the map, but it was only general directions. The map was drawn very carelessly, and there were no trees or rivers. There were only four directions: north, south, east, and west.
"Look, there are a total of twenty flags." He Yan pointed at the red dot at the bottom. "The one closest to the foot of the mountain should be the mountainside. When the new recruits enter the mountain, they will naturally search for the nearest flag and try to get it. There's a small stream next to the Shannan White Stone. The surrounding area is wide and there are no trees to cover it. This flag should be the easiest to find. Most of the brothers who went up the mountain before us are probably looking for this flag. "
"How do you know it's the Shannan White Stone?" Huang Xiong was suspicious. "There's only one dot on it."
"I'm just guessing, but don't worry. When I was patrolling the mountain, I memorized the path. Even if there's a deviation, I can find it easily."
"Weren't you chased by wolves when you were patrolling the mountain?" Wang Ba couldn't help but ask, "You still remember the path?"
"Yes, when I was chased by wolves, I also took a look at the path. When I came back, I memorized it again. I'm very familiar with it." He Yan looked at him with a smile. "You have to believe in your boss. There's absolutely no problem."
Hearing this, Wang Ba suppressed his anger and turned his head away. He didn't want to look at He Yan anymore.
He Yan couldn't help but laugh. It was necessary to memorize the terrain and every path on the battlefield. She had been in the Vanguard Battalion before, and the most important thing was to understand the enemy's situation and the surrounding environment at the beginning of the battle.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go straight to the Shannan White Stone to grab the flag! "Huang Xiong carried his broadsword on his back." How do we get there? "
He Yan: "…" This guy doesn't know the way.
"We're not going in this direction," He Yan said.
"Why not?" Huang Xiong frowned.
"Right now, there must be a lot of people fighting for the same flag. If we want to grab it, there are too many opponents. It's not worth it." He Yan shook his head. "Let's not join in the fun. Let's go in this direction. "She pointed in the opposite direction on the map. There was also a red dot there.
"There's a dense forest here, and the path is very steep. It's easy to get lost. I thought about it. Unless it's someone who remembers the path very well, it's very difficult to find this flag. So it shouldn't be easy for others to take it away. We'll go straight there and take this flag first. "
"There are only twenty flags in total. I think we only need to take more than half of them to win. So at the beginning, we'll look for these hidden flags that won't be noticed by others. It'll save us some energy. After all, when it comes to fighting for a flag, it's not necessarily the strength of the hands, but here. "She pointed at her head.
Was she praising herself for being smart in a different way? The others were a little speechless. Huang Xiong asked, "Do you really remember the path?"
"Absolutely." He Yan blinked and said, "I won't forget the path."
The young man was wearing a red outfit. Although he was thin and weak, his eyes were especially cunning and quick-witted. The sunlight shining through the gaps in the forest shone on his body, making him seem as if his whole body was glowing.
"Okay, okay, okay. Let's go." Wang Ba was the first to speak. "Let's go quickly. If we're late, it'll all be taken by others. What's the point of fighting!"
Shi Tou and He Yan were in the same group, so naturally, he didn't say anything. Jiang Jiao was young, and he admired He Yan for the previous shooting competition, so he didn't have any objections. The others all agreed. Huang Xiong, who was the oldest, also didn't say anything. Most importantly, he had no sense of direction. If no one led the way, he could wander around in the forest for three days and three nights.
Therefore, the five of them unexpectedly regarded He Yan as their leader.
The five of them walked up the mountain together. Because they didn't ride horses, the mountain path was rugged. At first, everyone was worried that He Yan wouldn't be able to keep up. However, when they saw her light and relaxed expression, they gradually relaxed. They knew that with He Yan's physical strength, it shouldn't be a problem for her to reach the top of the mountain.
He Yan, as she said, seemed to have walked the path of Mount Baiyue countless times and memorized all the small paths. She avoided all the main roads that could possibly collide with other groups and only took the smaller paths. The paths were harder to walk on, but the distance was much shorter. Moreover, every thicket that seemed to have no path was pushed aside by her, and she actually walked on another path.
"You guys should think more about everything." He Yan sighed and said, "Does the path have to be straight? Can't it be curved? Do people have to walk on the ground? Can't you learn from a gecko and climb up the wall? Rules are dead, but people are alive. If you put in more effort, many things aren't so complicated. "
Everyone: "…"
Huang Xiong said in a muffled voice, "I'm forty-six this year."
He Yan answered while walking, "Yes."
"You're only sixteen this year."
In other words, what right did a sixteen-year-old brat have to teach his elders? The elders have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice!
He Yan said, "But you still don't know the way."
Huang Xiong didn't know how to respond. What kind of person was this? He was completely invulnerable.
As they talked, they climbed over a mound and saw a small flag hidden in the bushes, standing alone on the ground.
"Found it!" Jiang Jiao's eyes lit up. He took a few steps forward and held the flag in his hand. "There really is one!"
"It really was found." Wang Ba muttered. Seeing the young man leaning against a tree, he said leisurely, "I already said that I won't forget."
Seeing this, the monitors hiding in the bushes took two steps forward and whispered, "What's going on? How did they find it so quickly? "
It was reasonable to say that the flag was hidden deep in the bushes, and the road was not easy to walk on. Most people should be fighting for the white stone flag in the south of the mountain. However, at this time, this group of people had come here directly from the beginning. Moreover, they didn't encounter any obstacles on the way. Did they … know the location of the flag in advance?
"Don't worry about it. Hurry up and reply." The monitor quickly wrote a few words on a piece of paper and sealed it into the copper tube on the pigeon's leg.
In a room in the station, the black and white pieces on the chessboard were scattered. Someone was playing chess.
A pigeon flew to the young man's shoulder and cooed twice. The latter took the copper tube from its leg and took out the note to read it.
Shen Han looked at the note in confusion.
Xiao Jue passed the note to him. Shen Han took it and read it. After a moment, he said in shock, "They found it so quickly?"
"It's expected." Xiao Jue curled his lips and smiled. His eyes became clearer and clearer. He said, "At this time, he came here directly in the morning."
There were 20 flags on the White Moon Mountain. The closest flag was next to the white stone in the south of the mountain. Although it had been found early in the morning, there were too many people who came to fight for it. Until now, there was no clear winner. Instead, the flag in He Yan's hand became the first flag to be found. This was because no one came to fight for it.
"He remembers the way?" Shen Han was suspicious. Even if there was a patrol at the beginning, it was impossible for a person to remember the way so well. Moreover, at the beginning, the recruits didn't know the purpose of patrolling the mountain, so they didn't deliberately remember the way. To be able to remember half of it was already very good.
"Not necessarily. Maybe," Xiao Jue said, "he just knew about today's flag fight in advance."
If he knew about it in advance, he would deliberately remember it when he was patrolling the mountain. Or he could think deeper. He Yan had the specific map of the White Moon Mountain from the beginning. Therefore, when he saw the flag, he knew the specific location.
Shen Han frowned. "If that's the case, he is indeed suspicious. What should we do next? "
"Continue," the young man smiled faintly. He took his time to place a chess piece. "It's not over yet. The winner is unknown. We will only know the result at the end. There's no need to rush."
After He Yan found the flag, he led the other four people to continue walking up the mountain. Her path, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit shorter than the others. Occasionally, there would be recruits from other groups that couldn't be avoided. Before the other party could notice, He Yan had everyone lie down in the grass or behind the bushes, so that they wouldn't meet them head on.
Wang Ba was a little dissatisfied. He was used to being the leader of the mountain bandits. When had he ever been so timid? He only said, "We're not afraid of them. Why are we hiding? I think we shouldn't hide. Let's just go and fight for it! "
"It's still early," He Yan patiently explained to him. "The other recruits we meet may not have flags, but we have flags. Once there's a conflict, if we win, we may not get the spoils. If we lose, we even lose the flags in our hands. Isn't it not worth it? "
Seeing that Wang Ba was still unwilling, she unfolded the map in her hand and showed it to Wang Ba. "I've seen it. Just like before, there are a total of three flags hidden in the depths of the forest. We've already gotten one, so there are still two more. If we walk along this path, we should be able to find the last flag, which is close to the top of the mountain. "
"We'll get these three flags first. After we get these three flags, we'll reach the top of the mountain." She said, "When we reach the top of the mountain, we'll think about what to do next."
These words barely convinced Wang Ba. He said, "This is what you said. There are still two flags. If there aren't any," he waved his fist, "I'll teach you a lesson!"
He Yan wasn't afraid at all. She smiled and took his fist away. "Little brother, you can't be so rude to boss." She looked into the distance. "Let's go."
The sun was getting brighter.
Although the depths of the forest weren't as hot as the bottom of the mountain, because the mountain path was rugged, everyone was sweating profusely. There were many birds, beasts, insects, and ants on the mountain, and they even encountered a few snakes on the road. Surprisingly, He Yan dealt with these unexpected situations with ease. Compared to Wang Ba, she was more like the master of the mountain. If they didn't know that He Yan was a recruit from Shuo Jing, they would have thought that she was a hunter born and raised on Mount Baiyue.
She didn't lie. Although the path she led was a bit bumpy, she was able to find the other two flags without any hindrance. The last flag was taken by Jiang Jiao. Huang Xiong looked ahead and said uncertainly, "The top of the mountain is in front of us."
He Yan nodded. "That's right." She looked down the mountain. "We took a shortcut. Along the way, we didn't meet any other groups that were faster than us. We should be the first to reach the top of the mountain. "
While the other recruits were busy fighting for the flags, they avoided other people and only looked for the flags. It was very convenient and also saved a lot of time.
Wang Ba sat down under a tree, unscrewed the water bottle at her waist, and drank a big mouthful of water. She said, "We didn't do anything except kill two snakes. We took two axes for nothing. I say, we're here to look for something, not to steal something, right? "
It was quite sullen to avoid other people and look for something secretly. Although Huang Xiong and Jiang Jiao didn't say anything, their expressions showed that they agreed with Wang Ba's words.
Shi Tou said, "It's fine as long as we win. There's no need to stick to the method."
"Brother Shi Tou is smart." He Yan smiled. "If you want to compete, why don't you just go to the martial arts practice field and challenge them? Fighting for the flag isn't a test of one's skills. "
She clapped her hands, looked at everyone, and smiled. "However, I never said that we were going to hide here forever." He Yan said, "Let's all prepare."
"Prepare for what?" Jiang Jiao didn't understand.
He Yan smiled faintly: "Robbery."
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