Chapter 536: Reversal, The Consequence of Scheming with a Tiger |
"Don't even think about swaying morale! The Xia army only has forty thousand men, how can they possibly block our army of one hundred and ten thousand? Brothers, keep charging!"
"Charge towards the city gates! The Xia army is retreating, kill your way to the main gate!"
"Don't surround the central army, fight your way to the city gate!"
………………
Xia Hong's attempt to persuade surrender did not cause even a ripple.
Qin Feng showed no reaction whatsoever, including the generals under his command from Wuchuan, and even all the Wuchuan soldiers. They completely failed to see the situation. Seeing their own vast army covering the mountains and fields, they were utterly convinced of victory and continued their assault.
Cai Qianshan, however, recognized the Xia army's intention of seizing the nest. He roared, signaling his troops to charge towards the city gate. His son, Cai Qiuhu, and the group of Tribulation Body and Sun Manifestation experts from Caiqiu quickly caught on and shouted orders to the soldiers.
Yet, unfortunately, although they were powerful, they held almost no sway over the armies of Jinshan and Wuchuan. So even though their voices were as loud as thunder, clearly reaching the ears of all soldiers present, very few paid them any heed.
"Quickly, attack the city gate, block the Xia army's retreat, hurry..."
However, not to mention they were not core figures and lacked the authority to command instant obedience, one must consider that the battlefield outside Pass City currently involved over 160,000 combatants from both sides. The entire battlefield stretched east to west for nearly three kilometers. Even Fang Bo Cai Qianshan would struggle to make his voice carry without using his vital energy to amplify it, let alone these commanders from the two towns, who only possessed Warmth Realm cultivation.
Their warnings made no splash at all before being drowned out.
"Army, retreat! Withdraw west back into the city!"
On the Great Xia side, the situation was completely different.
As Yuwen Tao led the Great Xia generals to the rear of the army formation, completely severing the connection between Wuchuan and the Xia army, Xia Hong, who had been overseeing the entire situation from mid-air without ever taking action, also opened his mouth to issue an order to the entire army.
Cai Qianshan and the others held no sway over the Jinshan and Wuchuan armies, while the situation for Xia Hong was precisely the opposite.
At his command, all Xia troops, even soldiers locked in life-or-death struggles, pricked up their ears. Hearing the Lord Leader's military order, almost everyone simultaneously disengaged from their current fights, quickly turned around, and headed west.
"All army flag officers, act according to the Lord Leader's command!"
Sway was only one aspect. The military discipline and tactics of Great Xia were what truly came into play at this moment.
The flag officers from each army heard the order and sprang into action, swiftly carrying their flags and retreating rapidly towards the west. Over ten golden command banners converged from various points on the battlefield towards the gates of Pass City, exceptionally conspicuous under the night sky, visible to almost all soldiers.
The first thing a Xia person learned after joining the army was to recognize the army flags, because all Xia army tactics revolved around the flags.
Where the army flags pointed was the direction they were to attack.
With Xia Hong's military order and the guidance of the army flags, the Xia army soldiers deployed in a long dragon formation across the battlefield immediately began a swift, organized retreat. They quickly merged into a long column, fending off harassment from enemy forces on the north and south flanks while rapidly retreating towards Pass City.
"Roar…………"
Of course, relying solely on military discipline and Xia Hong's influence was not enough.
The twelve Beast Emperor-Level Puppets that had been entangled by Caiqiu quickly disengaged from combat, then plummeted from high altitude, protecting the rearmost ranks of the Xia army.
With them blocking the way, even Cai Qianshan and his group of Tribulation Body Realm experts could do nothing, let alone the soldiers from the Jinshan and Wuchuan towns.
A Xia army unit of several hundred men, probably because they had charged too fiercely earlier, found themselves trapped in the rear ranks by the Wuchuan army. However, there was no fear on their faces. The leading officer led his men, fighting while retreating. Noticing the Beast Emperor-Level Puppets were close behind in his peripheral vision, a ruthless glint flashed across his face.
"Brothers, why retreat? We haven't earned enough military merits yet, charge!"
The leading officer actually charged forward instead of retreating. He was extremely strong. His blade directly cleaved onto an enemy soldier's helmet. Under the immense force, he actually split the man's head vertically. The blade's heat wave surged backward violently, successively defeating three Warmth Realm enemy soldiers behind.
"Hahaha, I've killed seven, that's indeed not enough. Follow the Battalion Commander, charge forward, keep killing!"
"The Battalion Commander has already charged, what are you brothers waiting for? Charge!"
"The Lord Leader's puppets are right behind us, what's there to fear?"
………………
The commander is the soul of the soldiers. That officer's suicidal counter-charge instantly ignited the fighting spirit of the several hundred Great Xia soldiers behind him. They were already in the heat of battle and were forced to retreat due to the Lord Leader's order. Now, with someone taking the lead, they all seemed to be injected with adrenaline, abandoning retreat and charging back in the opposite direction.
Whoosh…………
However, a fierce gust of wind suddenly swept down from above, halting their forward charge completely.
"Are your ears deaf? I ordered you to retreat!"
Following the gust of wind was a giant shadow. The several hundred soldiers about to charge forward changed their expressions upon hearing the voice. Not even daring to look up, they quickly turned and fled.
The Lord Leader is here!
Xia Hong stood on the forehead of the Black Iron Eagle. Behind him were Li Xuanling with the two children. The family of four, sleeves fluttering, untouched by a single snowflake, resembled celestial beings, starkly out of place in this brutal battlefield.
Rashly advancing for merit, disobeying military orders—this was not a good sign!
Xia Hong's expression darkened slightly. But when he looked down and clearly saw the face of the leading officer below, a sense of understanding rose in his heart.
That leading officer was none other than Han Feng, who had been undercover in Jinshan for many years!
When Yang Jian led people from the two feudal towns to abduct Xia Yusheng, causing Han Yue's death, the most furious person should have been Han Feng, her elder brother.
Han Feng wore the Dragon Warrior Army's standard-issue Thousand-Forged Grade Thunder Kui Gold Armor, signifying he had become a member of the Dragon Warrior Army.
Watching Han Feng and the group of soldiers retreat, the Xia army fought while withdrawing, surging into the city through the gates like a tide. In less than several dozen breaths, only about half the people remained outside the city gate.
The soldiers who entered the city first didn't stand around foolishly. They quickly went atop the city walls, set up bows and loaded stones, turned around, and began rapidly shooting at the Jinshan and Wuchuan armies on the north and south sides outside the city, assisting the Xia troops outside to continue entering the city.
Xia Hong also didn't engage in any king-versus-king game with Cai Qianshan. Riding the Black Iron Eagle and leading the twelve Beast Emperor-Level Puppets, he protected the Xia army as they slowly retreated until all Xia troops had gathered below the city gate.
At this point, the overall situation was settled!
This major battle lasted less than half an hour in total.
The combined Jinshan and Wuchuan armies totaled 110,000 men, while Great Xia only had 40,000. Originally, it should have been a one-sided fight, as Wuchuan's 50,000 troops arrived silently, and Jinshan's 60,000 army suddenly charged out of the city—Great Xia should have been completely unprepared.
Yet, who could have imagined that a tunnel surprise attack completely reversed the situation!
The Xia army was now inside Pass City. The Jinshan army was outside the city. The Wuchuan army had marched over a hundred *li* in a long-distance assault. The total number of Great Xia soldiers they managed to kill from start to finish was probably less than a hundred. They didn't even get to engage the main force of the Xia army throughout the entire battle.
Neither side fought particularly desperately in this battle.
Although the Xia army's combat power was strong, because Xia Hong gave the retreat order early, the fighting duration was short. Although the allied forces of the two towns were numerous, firstly, their combat effectiveness was lacking, and secondly, the Wuchuan army had hardly any deep contact with the Xia army—it was basically as if they hadn't fought at all.
Therefore, casualties on both sides were not heavy.
Xia Hong could roughly estimate that Xia army casualties should be around ten percent, meaning about four thousand men. The allied forces of the two towns suffered over five percent casualties, roughly just over five thousand.
Although neither side suffered crippling losses, what comes next is going to be interesting!
Standing on the Black Iron Eagle's forehead, Xia Hong gazed into the distance several hundred meters ahead at Cai Qianshan and the others standing in mid-air. Seeing their dark expressions, he couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahahahahaha…………"
After laughing heartily for a moment, he pointed at Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang behind Cai Qianshan and spoke loudly with a laugh, "Last night, Lord Qin gifted Donggu City to my Great Xia. Today, Lord Shangguan graciously presents Pass City. After all, you are Southern Foothills people. Since the two of you share the same heart as this Lord Leader, why follow outsiders in causing trouble? Surrender your armies and join Great Xia sooner rather than later, avoid this military disaster, and jointly resist external enemies, what do you say?"
"Hahahahaha……"
"Hahahaha…………"
"Hahahaha……"
………………
The gates of Pass City had just been trampled by the Beast Emperor puppets, so when all the Xia army soldiers on the city walls and inside the city burst into laughter, it immediately carried out. They laughed extremely wantonly, clearly deliberately amplifying their voices, carrying for several *li* around.
The over 100,000 soldiers of the Jinshan and Wuchuan armies heard it all clearly.
The stiff, ugly expressions of Cai Qianshan and the others went without saying. Hearing the Xia army's piercing laughter, the faces of the over 100,000 soldiers from the two towns instantly flushed red, whether from shame or anger.
By now, even the stupidest person had realized what was happening.
The Wuchuan army had already suffered such a loss last night. Now, seeing the Xia army all inside Pass City, how could they not understand? This was simply a repeat of last night's situation.
The Jinshan army of 60,000, originally defending the city with rested troops waiting for the weary enemy, now found themselves outside the city, transformed into the attacking side.
As for their Wuchuan army, after marching such a long distance, their plan to crush Great Xia's Right Route Army had failed. Not only had they achieved no merit, but they were now in a dilemma, with no way forward or back.
Behind Pass City was Jinshan Town City. Whether the Jinshan army of 60,000 would attack the city or not was one thing, but they certainly couldn't abandon the Pass. As for the Wuchuan army, where could they go now?
Back to Wuchuan Town City?
"Reporting to the Lord Leader, Luo Yuan's Central Route Army is rapidly advancing from the west. They can cover over forty kilometers in an hour. Currently, they are only a little over twenty kilometers from our army and can arrive here in at most half an hour..."
"Reporting to the Lord Leader, Yuan Cheng's Rear Route Army is advancing from Yangju to the south, also on a forced march, with speed similar to Luo Yuan's unit. They are even closer, less than twenty kilometers away..."
Two pieces of news arrived from the rear. Qin Feng's face instantly turned deathly pale. Shangguan Yang, who already appeared aged with graying hair, trembled upon hearing the news, his pupils shaking, and he instantly seemed to age even more.
"Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang, surrender! You have no way out!"
The scouts sent by Marshals Yuan Cheng and Luo Yuan arrived almost right behind the scouts from the Jinshan and Wuchuan towns. So, when the two town lords learned about the advance of Luo Yuan and Yuan Cheng's armies, Xia Hong also received the reconnaissance reports.
The moment Xia Hong received the reports, he immediately began shouting across the distance to Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang.
After saying this, he still received no response.
Xia Hong lowered his head in thought for a moment. Seeing that Cai Qianshan was standing at the front of the enemy formation in mid-air, while Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang had retreated to the rear, standing with Caiqiu's group of Sun Manifestation Level experts, his mind suddenly stirred.
"This conflict among the nine towns is a matter among our own people in the Southern Foothills territory. During war, each serves their own master. This Lord Leader will not pursue the faults of any soldier. Great Xia now governs the Southern Foothills, thus all people of the Southern Foothills are Xia people. From now on, there will be no distinction between the various towns. As long as you are willing to lay down your weapons, your relatives, friends, old acquaintances, and families will all remain as before. Great Xia guarantees no harm will come to you. Henceforth..."
"Xia Hong, stop trying to bewitch people! My Wuchuan elite forces are still intact. How can the town's legacy be handed over so easily? The Caiqiu army will march south soon. Let's see how your Great Xia can withstand the might of a powerful feudatory's troops then!"
"My Jinshan has always maintained good relations with Caiqiu. Do you think you can shake our army's morale with just a few words? Dream on!"
It wasn't Cai Qianshan who interrupted, but Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang.
Xia Hong narrowed his eyes. Although he was far away, he saw clearly. While he was speaking just now, Cai Qiuhu and those few Tribulation Body Realm experts from Caiqiu had subtly shifted their positions closer to Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang.
"This is the consequence of scheming with a tiger. Without strength, seeking cooperation is like inviting a wolf into your home, especially since this Caiqiu is more than just an alpha wolf..."
Realizing he could no longer persuade the two towns to surrender, Xia Hong immediately lost interest, his desire to speak vanishing in an instant.
In fact, from the moment Qin Feng ignored Wuchuan Town City and led his 50,000 troops straight to the Pass, he had a slight premonition.
The 50,000 troops under Qin Feng's command were all genuine Wuchuan people. Their families were all in the town city. After being tricked out of Donggu City by Luo Yuan, logically, the next step should have been to rush to reinforce the town city. Yet, Qin Feng brought these 50,000 men to the Pass.
One didn't need to guess to know that Qin Feng was either coerced by Caiqiu and had no choice, or he had lost his own mind and was willing to gamble with Caiqiu.
Of course, if they had won, that would be called boldness.
But having lost, that's a different story!
While Xia Hong was pondering, Cai Qianshan's side also began discussing countermeasures in mid-air.
"Luo Yuan's unit has forty thousand, Yuan Cheng's unit has fifty thousand, plus the over thirty thousand in Pass City, the Xia army's strength has reached 120,000. Xia Hong still has fourteen Beast Emperor-Level Puppets. The soldiers of our two towns are already inferior to the Xia army in strength, and our armor and equipment are even more outmatched. With morale wavering now, if we get entangled here, defeat is certain!"
As soon as Cai Qiuhu finished speaking, Shangguan Yang's face immediately flushed red. He took a slight step forward, attempting to speak.
But before he could finish, several people on his left and right moved closer to him. One of them even threatened him with a look, causing him to immediately shut his mouth.
"Jinshan Town City still has over 100,000 Digging Realm soldiers. Before Great Xia deals with your main force, they won't rashly attack the town city. Rest assured!"
Cai Qiuhu naturally knew what Shangguan Yang was worried about and immediately offered words of comfort. Then, looking at Qin Feng, he continued, "It's the same for Wuchuan Town City. As long as your 50,000-strong army exists, Great Xia won't seriously move against the town city. What you need to do now is cooperate with us to stabilize morale. My Caiqiu army will soon march south from the Bone-Erosion Path. At most three days. Once the army arrives, the crisis for both towns will naturally be resolved!"
Both Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang wanted to speak at this moment, but when the words reached their lips and they saw Cai Qianshan and the others, they obediently closed their mouths again.
They were the meat on the chopping block, at the mercy of others. Their opinions no longer mattered. Cai Qiuhu could offer comforting words, but they couldn't take them seriously.
"Luo Yuan's unit is to the west, Yuan Cheng's unit is to the south. Right now, we can only flee north. First head north out of Qinggu, then follow the southern foothills of Mo'ao Mountain around Hanzhao, enter Yinhe Valley, first occupy Jinyang, then wait for the army to arrive from Yinhe Valley!"
Cai Qianshan hadn't spoken from beginning to end. Finally, he only said this one sentence, then turned and flew towards the north.
"Your subordinate obeys the command!"
Cai Qiuhu and the others naturally had no objections.
Now, keeping the army here was useless. Although the gates of Pass City had collapsed, defending a city and attacking it were two completely different concepts. Moreover, Great Xia had just proven that thirteen Beast Emperor-Level Puppets were enough to render all their Tribulation Body and Sun Manifestation experts ineffective. Attacking the city now would be a path to certain death.
They could only retreat!
The question was, would Great Xia let them withdraw smoothly?
Cai Qiuhu turned his head to look at Xia Hong in the sky above Pass City, his eyes filled with gloom.