noon
Against brave and skilful men , such as those whom this person commands , rebels of a low and degraded order are powerless , and are , moreover , openly forbidden to succeed by the Forty-second Mandate in the Sacred Book of Arguments . Should it have happened that into this assembly any person of a perfidious or uncourageous nature has gained entrance by guile , and has not been detected and driven forth by his outraged companions -LRB- as would certainly occur if such a person were discovered -RRB- , I , Ling , Commander of Bowmen , make an especial and well-considered request that he shall be struck by a molten thunderbolt if he turns to flight or holds thoughts of treachery . '' Having thus addressed and encouraged the soldiers , Ling instructed them that each one should cut and fashion for himself a graceful but weighty club from among the branches of the trees around , and then return to the tents for the purpose of receiving food and rice spirit . When noon was passed , allowing such time as would enable him to reach the camp of the enemy an hour before darkness , Ling arranged the bowmen in companies of convenient numbers , and commenced the march , sending forward spies , who were to work silently and bring back tidings from every point . In this way he penetrated to within a single li of the ruins of Ki , being informed by the spies that no outposts of the enemy were between him and that place . Here the first rest was made to enable the more accurate and bold spies to reach them with trustworthy information regarding the position and movements of the camp . With little delay there returned the one who had brought the earliest tidings , bruised and torn with his successful haste through the forest , but wearing a complacent and well-satisfied expression of countenance .