Chapter 504: What Are We Waiting For? Soul-Seeping Incense—Begin the Battle |
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Three hundred meters directly east of the Zhongyang Camp, a large, square, golden command banner flapped noisily in the cold wind. The banner was fifteen feet long and over five feet wide, entirely made of golden Xia Brocade.
Although it was the dead of night, the light from fires below illuminated it, making the intricate details of the kui-dragon pattern on the golden flag clearly visible. The large, bold black character "Mu" in the center of the flag shimmered with a brilliant, overflowing light, so eye-catching it could be seen clearly even from hundreds of meters away.
The banner stood atop a wooden watchtower over thirty meters high. Below the flag was a small platform, where five soldiers clad in yellow armor stood, their eyes wide open as they scanned the east, west, south, north, and the sky above.
The lower half of the watchtower was actually a long wooden shed, fifteen meters in length. The shed's roof had a smoke vent, from which thick, billowing smoke was pouring out.
Flickering firelight was visible within the smoke, and from the high-frequency shaking of the flames, it was clear there were definitely people moving inside the shed.
Surrounding the shed were ten square, black military tents, each fifty meters long, arranged in a ring. The surfaces of the tents were pitch black, making it impossible to see inside with the naked eye. Only the intense firelight spilling from the tent entrance on the west side, along with the sounds of soldiers chatting and laughing inside, indicated a sizable number of people.
Creak...
The door of the central wooden shed was suddenly pushed open from inside by a soldier. A gray-bearded old man wearing black armor stepped out first, followed by over a dozen others clad in armor of five different colors: black, silver, gold, yellow, and red.
"Commander, there are still three shichen until dawn. Isn't it about time?"
Seeing his father, Mu Longhe, look up at the sky, Mu Qinghe thought he was estimating the time and immediately stepped forward to speak.
"Do you think this old man can't tell the time? Need you to speak up?"
Mu Longhe turned his head and glared at his son, then spoke gravelly to the crowd, "Taking a fortified camp is no easy task. The Department Chancellor only gave me ten thousand troops. Without absolute certainty, we cannot act recklessly. Let's wait a little longer..."
Upon hearing this, the brows of the assembled generals behind him furrowed slightly with confusion.
The commander of the Sixth Battalion, Xia Houcen, couldn't help but cup his hands and speak, "Commander, we have ten Divine Machine Crossbows, three elite designated armies, plus Golden Body Pills. Our cultivation, elixirs, weapons, and armor are all superior to the enemy's. Furthermore, the Zhongyang Camp only has Yang Qin and Yang Ping, two Sun Manifestation Levels. Whether in strength or numbers, they are no match for our forces, not to mention we have agents inside. Why must we delay until now?"
Although Xia Houcen possessed 56 zong of strength, he ultimately only had Warmth Realm cultivation. Normally, he wouldn't be qualified to speak to Mu Longhe like this. However, he was the son of Xia Houzhang and held the dual positions of Commander-in-Chief of the Chiyang Army and the Sixth Battalion commander of the Jinyang allied forces. Therefore, among the group, only he dared to question.
Mu Qinghe had already been glared at by his father and naturally didn't dare to speak again.
However, hearing Xia Houcen's question, like the others, he looked at Mu Longhe with a puzzled expression, wanting to know why his father was delaying the attack.
Being questioned by a subordinate, Mu Longhe's expression naturally darkened slightly. But seeing all the generals looking at him with confusion, he slowly began to speak.
"Xia lives are precious!"
He opened his mouth lightly, uttering only four words. But upon hearing them, Mu Qinghe, Xia Houcen, and the other generals all trembled slightly. The confusion on their faces instantly vanished, replaced by a touch of shame.
Seeing the shame on their faces, Mu Longhe knew they had taken his words to heart. A glint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes, and he seemed to be in the mood to elaborate. He continued his explanation in a grave tone, "You must understand, once a major battle begins, there's no turning back. So what if we hold every advantage? That trench at the camp entrance and the two thousand troops on the southwest mountain path are enough proof that Yang Qin and Yang Ping are not incompetents. Who knows what other formidable methods they might have hidden?
When the Department Chancellor ordered me to lead ten thousand troops westward, he instructed me: 'Xia lives are precious. A Pyrrhic victory is no victory at all.' How could this commander treat it as a game..."
He paused slightly here, then continued, "Besides, I'm not afraid of that ten-thousand-strong army in the Zhongyang Camp. But earlier, Garrison Chief Lu said the combined Digging Realm cultivators from the Zhongyang and Linya camps number at least over sixty thousand. If Beishuo is determined to hold Zhongyang, these sixty thousand-plus people have surely been mobilized. If we charge in recklessly, your opponents won't be limited to just those ten thousand defenders!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions instantly grew several shades more serious.
"In that case, Commander, you are waiting for..."
This time, it was Mu Qinghe who couldn't hold back. In a public setting, he naturally had to use official titles. He was truly curious what his father was waiting for.
"He's here!"
However, before he could finish his question, Mu Longhe cut him off.
Mu Longhe clearly sensed something. He suddenly turned his head, looking towards the sky in the southeast direction, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
The others quickly followed his gaze.
A figure swiftly flew in from the southeastern sky, heading straight for the air above the main command tent. The soldiers on duty around the main tent immediately became alert and murderous upon seeing someone approaching. There were even sounds of iron wheels grinding against the ground from both sides, clearly indicating someone had deployed Divine Machine Crossbows.
"One of ours, don't panic!"
Only after Mu Longhe gave the order did the expressions of everyone around relax.
"Lord Xiao!"
"Why is Lord Xiao here?"
"It's Lord Xiao."
...
"My apologies for being late, Commander!"
The newcomer was none other than the former Commander-in-Chief of the Xiaoshan Army, Xiao Kangcheng.
Xiao Kangcheng landed directly in front of the group. He waved his hand in acknowledgment to the others, then smiled and cupped his hands towards Mu Longhe.
"Lord Xiao, you've finally arrived. If you hadn't come, this old man could have waited, but they were about to force me to order the attack..."
Xiao Kangcheng was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. Looking at the group of generals behind, including Mu Qinghe and Xia Houcen, he chuckled and said, "It seems all you generals are eager for battle! No rush, let this old man investigate first!"
After his jest, his expression suddenly turned serious. He turned to look in the direction of the Zhongyang Camp, raising his hands slightly. Dozens of glowing cyan threads of energy instantly emanated from his palms.
Those cyan energy threads writhed incessantly in his palms, as if trying to break free from his control but unable to escape. After several attempts, they finally began surging towards different directions.
There were thirty-six threads in total. Thirty-three of them were trying to break through towards the east and south regions; only three threads of energy charged towards the west.
At this moment, the west side of the group was precisely the Zhongyang Camp.
"Three. So Beishuo was indeed holding back!"
Seeing the state of the cyan energy threads, Mu Longhe immediately understood. His spirits lifted slightly, thinking to himself, 'Just as I suspected.'
Xiao Kangcheng's strength wasn't particularly high. He broke through to the Sun Manifestation Level last year, and his current maximum strength was less than 4 jun.
But he possessed a very formidable ability: tracking.
Thanks to the Soul-Infusing Incense Green Jade he fused with last year, Xiao Kangcheng could mark all Sun Manifestation Level cultivators. Moreover, these cyan energy thread marks were virtually lifelong. At least up to now, apart from Yellow Candles and individuals with exceptionally powerful soul bodies like Xu Ning who could erase them themselves, Great Xia hadn't found any other means to remove them.
With such an ability, how could Great Xia not plan ahead?
Xiao Kangcheng formed the Xiaoshan Army the year before last. Last year, after breaking through to the Sun Manifestation Level and fusing with the Soul-Infusing Incense Green Jade, Xia Chuan directly had him relinquish his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Xiaoshan Army and appointed him Deputy Head of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. The purpose was to facilitate his contact with Sun Manifestation Level cultivators from the five northern towns, allowing him to plant the incense mark on them in advance.
"Lord Xiao came from Yangju, right? What's the situation in Yangju?"
Mu Longhe already knew about the change of power in Longgu Town City. He was well aware that the primary objective of Great Xia's northern expedition this time was the five major town cities. The next step after Longgu's change of power would inevitably be dealing with the isolated and unsupported Yangju. Hence his question.
Xiao Kangcheng had indeed come from Yangju. His brow furrowed slightly as he shook his head, "Department Head Yuan has already surrounded Yangju with a large force, sealing it tight. Cao Qianyang is stubborn and obstinate. Threats, inducements, persuasion, reasoning—he simply refuses to surrender. Department Chancellor Yuan suspects reinforcements from Caiqiu and Chencang have arrived. Therefore, he's not rushing to attack the city, only sending messengers to inform the other three armies."
Reinforcements from the Feudal Towns have arrived!
Mu Longhe's brow furrowed. He instinctively shook his head, "That doesn't seem right? If reinforcements from Chencang and Caiqiu have arrived, why would there only be three Sun Manifestation Levels here? Right, you just detected Yang Qin and Yang Ping. Who is the third Sun Manifestation Level?"
"Duan Heyang. Only 2 jun of strength!"
Hearing that the third Sun Manifestation Level had only 2 jun of strength, Mu Longhe's expression instantly relaxed considerably. He then turned to look at the Zhongyang Camp, his expression brightening slightly. Clearly, he was already beginning to make calculations in his mind.
Meanwhile, Xiao Kangcheng looked somewhat puzzled, pondering Mu Longhe's earlier statement. If reinforcements from the two major Feudal Towns had arrived, why were there only three Sun Manifestation Levels here at the Zhongyang Camp.
"The enemy has three Sun Manifestation Levels. For the sake of stability in all matters, since the Xiaoshan Army happens to be in the Allied Army's Fifth Battalion, and Lord Xiao is here, if you have no other pressing matters, why not stay and assist me in taking the camp? This commander guarantees it won't take three shichen. We can finish before dawn."
Xiao Kangcheng turned to look at the military tents of the Fifth Battalion on the left. Seeing the familiar Xiaoshan Army banner, and after briefly scanning the soldiers below, a smile appeared on his face. He nodded and said, "Xiao is originally a Battlefield Messenger, moving between various battlefields. When there's no urgent military intelligence, I can linger in any war zone. How about I stay until Commander Mu secures Zhongyang, then go report the good news to the Department Chancellor?"
"Hahaha, I'll accept your auspicious words, Brother Xiao..."
Mu Longhe naturally wasn't so omniscient as to foresee Xiao Kangcheng's arrival. From beginning to end, what he was waiting for was just military intelligence from other war zones.
If he remembered correctly, for this northern expedition, the Xia army had appointed six Battlefield Messengers, all individuals with some special abilities. Xiao Kangcheng was just one of them.
Who would have thought his luck would be so good, actually waiting for Xiao Kangcheng.
Too many Sun Manifestation Levels could turn the tide of battle. Now that he knew the Zhongyang Camp had only three Sun Manifestation Levels, Mu Longhe was completely at ease.
He turned and led the group of generals back into the main command tent. Then, sitting grandly in the commander's seat, he swept his gaze over the assembled officers below. After only a moment's thought, he immediately spoke:
"The terrain of Zhongyang isn't particularly treacherous, but a head-on assault alone won't do. Since we know about the southwest mountain path, we must deploy accordingly in advance. Garrison Chief Lu's seven disciples have already infiltrated the interior of the Zhongyang Camp. Once we launch our frontal attack, they will create chaos inside and also cooperate with us to seize the southwest mountain path.
Lord Xiao, you shall lead two thousand men from the Xiaoshan Army under cover of night to detour to the southwest and lie in wait at the mountain path entrance. As soon as we launch our frontal attack, you can coordinate with the agents inside to take the southwest mountain path. That would mean we've taken half of the Zhongyang Camp."
This was essentially giving a favor. A surprise attack from the southwest mountain path, especially with agents inside, clearly offered a much greater chance to earn merit than a frontal assault.
The current Commander-in-Chief of the Xiaoshan Army was Xiao Kangcheng's cousin, Xiao Yuan. His son, Xiao Heng, and a large number of nephews were all soldiers in the Xiaoshan Army. Mu Longhe was clearly giving Xiao Kangcheng a good turn, in light of his willingness to stay and assist.
Xiao Kangcheng naturally understood the gesture. A smile appeared on his face as he cupped his hands and said, "Commander, rest assured. Xiao will definitely lead the troops to capture the mountain path!"
"Speed is crucial in warfare. Go prepare now. Although it's night, moving two thousand men will inevitably create some noise. It won't be easy to hide it from the enemy..."
Not just not easy—it would be practically impossible to hide.
Not to mention the Xia army camp was only three hundred meters from the Zhongyang Camp, with the enemy watching every moment. Even if they were farther away, with the capabilities of Sun Manifestation Level cultivators, it would be impossible to let two thousand men slip away right under their noses.
Therefore, splitting off two thousand men to attack the mountain path was both a surprise attack and a move to divide the enemy's forces. It all depended on how well the agents performed and how much effort Yang Ping and Yang Qin were willing to invest in countering it.
"Xiao will take his leave now!"
Opportunities for merit often come with great risk. Xiao Kangcheng, at his age, naturally understood this principle. So he simply nodded lightly, bowed respectfully to Mu Longhe with cupped hands, and withdrew directly.
"The remaining eight thousand men will be led by this commander personally, attacking frontally from the east side. The army's arrow formation will take the lead. Xia Houcen, you will lead the yellow-armored Chiyang Army to build bridges and charge head-on. Mu Qinghe will command four thousand men operating the Divine Machine Crossbows to bring up the rear. We must crush the Zhongyang camp gates in one wave."
"Your subordinate obeys the command!"
Mu Qinghe and Xia Houcen bowed deeply, their expressions filled with excitement.
They had arrived at Zhongyang just after nightfall and had been lying in wait for nearly seven shichen. Now, they were finally about to fight.
"Beat the drums, sound the horns, prepare to advance!"
Woooo...
At Mu Longhe's command, the generals inside the tent quickly filed out. In less than five breaths, a massive horn blast resounded directly above the camp tents.
As the war horn sounded, whether it was the two thousand Xiaoshan Army troops who had already left camp or the eight thousand Xia troops ready and waiting inside, a flush instantly rose to their cheeks, and their pupils filled with excitement and fervor.
"Military merits! The chance to grab military merits is here!"
"I'm only fifty military merit points away from ennoblement. One battle is enough!"
"The situation in the Southern Foothills is basically settled now. Once this northern expedition ends, there won't be any 'nine towns' anymore. In the short term, there probably won't be such a good chance to earn military merits. We must seize this opportunity!"
...
Countless soldiers were rubbing their hands in anticipation. The blazing firelight from the Zhongyang Camp to the west didn't frighten them at all. Instead, it reflected the excitement and desire shining in their eyes.
Ennoblement—today is the day!