To say we feel at ease right now would be a lie—even the most fearless killers among us are actually feeling anxious at this moment.
Right now, our situation is more dangerous than ever: we've led our troops deep into enemy territory as a bridgehead outpost, and we could be surrounded and attacked from three sides at any time. More importantly, retreat isn't an option—the secret tunnel leading through the Ten Thousand Miles Bamboo Sea is just behind us. If we pull back even one step, it would throw the entire advance off balance, and the hard-won gains from the great victory at Jianchuan might just be wiped out in an instant.
So even though we just broke out of the Bamboo Sea with our lives, we jumped right into building the military camp without a moment's rest. Everyone is exhausted and tense, their faces drawn and pale, but not a single soldier grumbles or complains.
