Chapter 522 - 452: Fire Prison Canyon (2)

Chapter 522: Chapter 452: Fire Prison Canyon (2)

Liu Ancheng sighed inwardly.

His worst fears had come to pass. A defending army’s greatest concern was unstable morale. It had only been five days, and already some of the generals were getting restless, to say nothing of the soldiers under them.

If he hadn’t ordered the generals to train relentlessly, some would have likely been clamoring to charge out of the camp for a battle long ago.

Then Kongshan would have achieved his goal.

"Enough."

A majestic voice slowly rang out.

The two men, Qian and Zhao, who had been arguing heatedly, instantly became as meek as kittens, not daring to utter another word.

In the Zhenxi Army, no one dared to defy Gao Xiong.

"If you have nothing better to do, go train the troops. If I hear anyone else talk about leaving camp, they will face military justice!"

"Yes, sir."

The two of them, looking crestfallen, slowly withdrew from the main tent.

Seeing this, the other generals filed out as well.

Soon, only Gao Xiong and Liu Ancheng remained in the main tent.

"Where do you think they are now?"

Gao Xiong suddenly asked.

Liu Ancheng understood who the Grand General was referring to. "They should have reached Fire Prison Canyon by now."

"Fire Prison Canyon... I wonder if he can truly pull off a miracle."

"Don’t worry. He’s Xu Dingchun’s man. He won’t fail."

"..."

This time, Liu Ancheng, uncharacteristically, did not reply to Gao Xiong.

Even though he also advocated for a proactive strike, the route Bai Yuan had chosen was too extreme. Not even he was optimistic about it.

Fire Prison Canyon.

A place whose name struck fear even into the hearts of the Ximo people.

...

「On the other side.」

Inside the main tent of the Ximo Alliance Army.

"Kongshan, did you become a running dog for the Profound People just because your ancestors took a Central Plains surname?"

A man with a chiseled face cursed as he stared at Kongshan.

He was from the Claw Demon Country.

He already had some enmity with Kongshan, so he held nothing back in his insults.

Kongshan merely glanced at the man.

"Mo Na, the National Preceptor is watching. You’d best not act recklessly and jeopardize his grand plan."

At the mention of the National Preceptor’s name,

the unruly Mo Na restrained himself somewhat, but still grumbled, "I’m not part of some rebel army. Why would the National Preceptor punish me? You, on the other hand, are just dithering. If we’re going to fight, then let’s fight. What are we doing just sitting here on defense?"

Kongshan said, "These are the National Preceptor’s orders. You need only obey."

Hearing Kongshan use the National Preceptor’s authority to pressure him again, Mo Na snorted coldly and said no more.

Kongshan swept his gaze over the others in the camp.

He sighed to himself.

’The inherent fatal weakness of an allied army was now on full display.’

’As soon as they showed signs of decline on the battlefield, the allied army’s combat strength would plummet. If they suffered too many losses, they would instantly fall apart. The people of the other nine nations would not risk their lives for benefits they might never see.’

That was why he had been trying his best to avoid large-scale battles.

Fortunately, the Zhenxi Army’s strategist, Liu Ancheng, seemed to think the same way and had been holding a strict defense.

’Could it be that he has a trump card?’

The thought surfaced in Kongshan’s mind.

He had clashed with Liu Ancheng too many times to count. He knew his opponent was not easy to deal with and must have some killing move hidden away, one he simply hadn’t discovered yet.

"By the way, has Ah Du Mu returned yet?"

"No, sir."

A soldier confirmed.

Kongshan’s brow furrowed sharply. He had arranged for Ah Du Mu to pursue the escaped Vanguard and that strange unit.

But five days had passed, and he had still not returned.

’It seems something has happened.’

But even though Kongshan was suspicious, there was nothing he could do.

Ah Du Mu was a Mingxin Grandmaster. If even he had met with trouble, sending others would be useless. Moreover, if he told the others what had happened to Ah Du Mu, it might shake the army’s morale.

So Kongshan chose to suppress the matter for now.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

’No matter what that army is planning, it’s too late for them.’

’As long as we can swallow the Zhenxi Army within ten days, victory will be set in stone. Any further struggle will be futile.’

"Mo Na, you wanted to leave the camp, didn’t you? Take five hundred men and go harass the Zhenxi Army."

"Good."

Hearing he would get to kill, Mo Na’s face twisted into a morbid smile.

...

「Six more days passed.」

More and more bodies were buried beneath the yellow sand. Over the past few days, the Ximo Alliance Army and the Zhenxi Army had clashed in several battles, each involving around a thousand men.

There were wins and losses on both sides.

The stench of blood hanging in the air grew thicker, and the atmosphere became increasingly oppressive.

"Report! Grand General, there are signs of assembly in the Ximo Camp."

Hearing this news, Liu Ancheng’s brow knitted into a deep frown.

Assembly... This meant that Kongshan would very likely launch a major battle tonight.

It wouldn’t be a raid of a thousand men this time, but a full-frontal siege by tens of thousands of troops.

Liu Ancheng turned to Gao Xiong. "Grand General, we must have the soldiers prepare tonight. They need to be ready to leave camp and engage the enemy at a moment’s notice."

"See to it."

Gao Xiong said.

Having received Gao Xiong’s approval, Liu Ancheng turned and left the main tent.

But the worry on his face did not lessen in the slightest.

...

「A night passed.」

The anticipated great battle did not break out. Everything was calm.

But Liu Ancheng’s heart sank further and further.

His fears had been realized. Kongshan was planning to wear down the Zhenxi Army with bluffs and feints.

Although no major battle occurred, a full eighty percent of the Zhenxi Army’s soldiers hadn’t slept last night.

They were all Martial Artists, so one sleepless night had almost no effect.

But what if it was five days... or seven? By then, their mental fortitude would be gone, and their combat effectiveness would plummet. How could they face the Ximo army, who were like a pack of wolves and tigers?

Yet, they had no choice but to endure it.

If the Ximo forces were to actually launch a night attack, a hastily organized defense would surely be weaker.

And Kongshan’s objective would be achieved.

Of course, there was a way to counter this strategy.

It was just that with the Zhenxi Army’s current strength, it was simply impossible.

To stop war with war!

By initiating larger, localized battles, they could prevent the Ximo people from sparing the manpower for harassment, and perhaps even incite internal conflict among them.

Liu Ancheng knew very well.

The Zhenxi Army’s only advantage right now was the disunity within the Ximo Alliance Army.

So he had been consistently exploiting this weakness.

The cavalry he had sent to harass the Ximo Alliance Army in recent days had focused their attacks on a single nation.

As long as that one nation suffered too many losses, they would surely withdraw, which would greatly reduce the pressure on the Zhenxi Army.

War was not the grand charge of ten thousand men that one might imagine.

Most of the time, it was a series of repeated probes.

In the end, besides absolute strength, the competition was one of patience—a test of who could hold out the longest.

...

「Two more nights passed.」

"Brother Kong’s methods are truly brilliant! Those Profound People probably don’t even dare to close their eyes right now."

A stout man with a large belly laughed heartily.

Unlike the other generals, this stout man’s nation was on good terms with Chehe; his was the country most obedient to Kongshan’s commands this time.

The others just grunted.

Nevertheless, they all admired Kongshan’s military tactics.

He had all but shattered the Zhenxi Army’s morale without losing a single soldier.

The pot-bellied man chuckled. "Let’s wear these Profound People down for a few more days. By then, they’ll all be sleep-deprived for days on end, no different from lambs to the slaughter."

The others also roared with laughter.

The Ximo had been suppressed by the Zhenxi Army for years. It was rare for them to have a moment to feel so proud and vindicated.

As long as they defeated the Zhenxi Army,

they would see vast, open plains and endless treasures to plunder. This was the true source of their excitement.

Plundering was always faster than building.

In just a few short days, these Ximo soldiers could sweep across thousands of miles. The resources would be enough to supply their nations for a long time, and they would be rewarded with promotions and titles.

But just as the men were caught up in their excitement, Kongshan silently stood up.

Feeling the icy aura emanating from Kongshan, everyone in the tent fell silent.

Kongshan spoke slowly. "Return to your camps and ready your troops. We attack tonight."

"Tonight?!"

The pot-bellied man stared at Kongshan in astonishment.

It was all too sudden.

"Brother Kong, why not fight tomorrow night? Our boys are still sleeping. Waking them up now will surely reduce their combat strength."

Kongshan said coldly, "If it’s true for us, it’s true for the Zhenxi Army. The key is the element of surprise. We have rested long enough."

"..."

A silence fell over the main tent.

But no one dared to refute Kongshan’s words at this moment.

One by one, they filed out of the tent without a word.

Soon, sounds of activity rose from the Ximo Camp as sleeping soldiers crawled out of their tents.