Originally, the Meng family's Golden Flame Cavalry had a worthy rival in Zhao's Cavalry Corps, a formidable unit under King Wuling's leadership. However, due to the erratic decisions of Zhao's king, this elite force never even had a chance to enter the battlefield.
Given the circumstances, using Yan as a training ground for Qin's new recruits was the best option. The difference between a soldier who has survived the battlefield and one who has never fought is immeasurable. Moreover, with the introduction of medics and modern antibiotics, Qin soldiers had a much higher chance of survival than in previous wars.
To Qin, the Six States of Shandong posed varying levels of threat, but only Chu was considered a true rival. The other five states were relatively insignificant. Chu's vast territory and abundant resources made it Qin's primary concern. As for Qi, its natural barrier, the Yangtze River, delayed its conquest; otherwise, Ying Zheng might have preferred to subdue Qi before engaging Chu.
"Impressive. That's the Iron Hammer for you—truly fierce in battle."
The two thousand Yan soldiers, vastly outnumbered by the ten thousand Qin troops, took up a defensive position on a mountain ridge, leveraging the terrain to delay the Qin advance while sending a messenger back to request reinforcements.
What the Iron Hammer didn't anticipate was that the messenger, A-Gang, would be handed over to Meng Tian by Yan Yi the very next day. This revelation exposed Yan Yi's secret collaboration with Qin.
Yan's General Yan Yi had covertly allied with Qin, rendering any hope for victory a mere illusion. Despite his treachery, openly surrendering his soldiers was not an option; doing so would have led to immediate retribution from his own troops. Instead, Yan Yi resorted to deliberately sending his men to their deaths, using the Iron Hammer's forces as a sacrificial token of allegiance to Qin.
With a general of Yan secretly feeding them intelligence, Meng Tian saw this as an excellent opportunity to train Qin's recruits.
"A-Gang, are you surprised?" Meng Tian asked the captured Yan soldier with a calculating smile, attempting to sway his loyalty. While Yan had its share of traitors like Yan Yi, it also had loyalists like A-Gang, the kind of steadfast individuals who valued honor above all else.
Loyalty often flourishes among common men, while betrayal is frequently the domain of the privileged. This dynamic was at play despite Daniel Davis's psychological campaigns involving propaganda leaflets and loudspeakers. True success would only come when Qin had unified the land.
"Yan Yi, that traitor!"
A-Gang's face contorted with rage, his teeth grinding so hard that blood seeped from his gums. To him, the greatest betrayal wasn't from Qin but from Yan Yi, who had undermined everything they fought for.
"The Iron Hammer isn't someone who would surrender easily."
Meng Tian's conversation with A-Gang wasn't without purpose. The Iron Hammer's bravery during skirmishes with Qin troops had made an impression. His strength and tenacity were the main reasons the two thousand Yan soldiers hadn't been completely annihilated.
While Meng Tian was using this as a training opportunity for his new recruits, he wouldn't let Yan soldiers linger indefinitely. The Iron Hammer's innate strength and valor marked him as a warrior worth recruiting. Discovering that A-Gang was the Iron Hammer's sworn brother only solidified Meng Tian's resolve to win him over.
At this time, the Iron Hammer had not yet joined the Mohists, let alone become one of their leaders. His eventual ascension to that role would come years later, after Yan's fall. However, the fact that someone of his skill could rise to such prominence in the Mohist hierarchy revealed the state of their decline.
Consider the Mohist leaders of the future: the Iron Hammer, Xu Fuzi, Ban Master, Dao Zhi, Snow Maiden, and Gao Jianli. Among them, only Gao Jianli possessed exceptional martial skill. The others were talented in their respective fields—Xu Fuzi as a swordsmith, Ban Master in mechanics, and Dao Zhi in reconnaissance—but none could match the martial prowess of the previous generation, which included figures like Jing Ke, Yan Dan, and Qin Wuyang.
This decline was in stark contrast to other schools like the Confucians, the Agriculturalists, and the Yin-Yang School, all of which boasted a deep bench of skilled practitioners. The Agriculturalists, for instance, had their six elders, each a formidable presence. Even reclusive masters remained part of their ranks.
The Mohists' vulnerability stemmed from their historical involvement in wars among the Seven Warring States. Their mission to protect the weak led to significant casualties, leaving them with fewer surviving masters.
---
"A-Gang, you…"
On the battlefield, the Iron Hammer's expression turned to shock as he saw A-Gang emerge from the Qin ranks.
"Brother, Yan is finished. Reinforcements won't come. Yan Yi…" A-Gang's voice trembled with emotion as he recounted how their desperate fight to break through Qin lines and call for aid had been betrayed by Yan Yi, who had even killed their comrades to maintain his allegiance to Qin.
"Yan Yi!"
Fury consumed the Iron Hammer as he swung his massive weapon, shattering a nearby boulder. Yet, his anger toward A-Gang's apparent betrayal burned just as fiercely.
"And so you chose to betray us as well?"
"Brother, I—" A-Gang lowered his head in shame. But in the next moment, he lunged toward Meng Tian, who sat mounted nearby.
Taken by surprise, Meng Tian's guards failed to react immediately, and A-Gang's hand nearly reached the sword at Meng Tian's waist. However, before he could grab it, a figure appeared before him, gripping his throat and lifting him effortlessly off the ground. It was Daniel Davis.
"General Meng, you've been far too careless," Davis remarked, holding A-Gang aloft with one hand.
"Thank you for your intervention, National Advisor." Meng Tian nodded gratefully, though he knew he would have been fine regardless. His martial prowess far exceeded A-Gang's, and his armor—crafted from the finest steel and known as the Cloud Armor—was impenetrable by most weapons.
"You're a loyal man, A-Gang," Meng Tian admitted. Despite offering A-Gang rank, wealth, and nobility within Qin, the soldier had refused to abandon his principles. This level of integrity was rare.
"Loyal, yes. But neither Yan nor Qin has a place for such loyalty," Davis said coldly, before hurling A-Gang into the air.
Four black-armored Qin soldiers stepped forward, thrusting their spears into A-Gang's descending body. His lifeless form hit the ground with a thud.
"Brother A-Gang!"
Enraged, the Iron Hammer charged toward Davis, his massive weapon raised. Meng Tian prepared to intervene, but Davis raised a hand to stop him.
"Still haven't learned the Thunder Hammer technique, have you? Likely something you picked up after joining the Mohists," Davis mused.
With a furious roar, the Iron Hammer leaped high into the air, bringing his weapon down with immense force. The sheer power of his strike was undeniable, capable of crushing most opponents.
But Davis stood unmoved. "Unfortunately, you won't have the chance to become a Mohist leader."
Smiling faintly, Davis extended a single finger, lightly touching the descending hammer.
In an instant, frost spread from his finger, encasing the hammer and then the Iron Hammer's entire body in ice. The massive figure crashed to the ground, frozen solid.
"Impressive construct potential. Perhaps the Gongshu clan can make something of him." Davis considered the frozen warrior thoughtfully. Instead of killing him outright, he decided to deliver the Iron Hammer to the Gongshu family, who specialized in mechanical constructs.
---
As the Qin forces pressed forward, the absence of Mohist interference was conspicuous. Meanwhile, the failed assassination attempt on Ying Zheng fueled renewed vigor in Meng Wu and Meng Tian's campaigns. With Yan Yi as a double agent, Qin's armies swiftly advanced to the gates of Ji, Yan's capital.
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