Chapter 669: Chain Reaction

Chapter 669: Chapter 669: Chain Reaction

Jing Old Calendar, February 23rd, night, mid-midnight.

Before the gate of the military camp, Commander-in-Chief Cheng Jinhou was fully armored, mounted on a black horse, flanked by Xuan Tianqing, the Fifth Elder of the Mountain of Ten Thousand Books in a long robe of celestial blue, accompanied by Wu Yuan, Third Elder of the Celestial Toad Sect, and Yuan Qingyun, Second Elder of the Valley of Love Flowers.

Cheng Jinhou raised his hand and waved; under cover of night, the Array at the camp gate was withdrawn, and the central gate swung open.

"Move out."

No words along the way. The vanguard scouts led, followed by the main force.

Hundreds of scouts fanned out in a star formation, both to ensure the safety of the path ahead and to clear away any barbarian scouts encountered along the route.

Cheng Jinhou had waited long for this order. Before coming to Jianchuan, he had discussed it with Commander-in-Chief Shen Wanlin before the Grand Marshal. The plan had been rough then, but the official command was now refined to perfection. What remained depended on adaptability and luck in the field.

From the gate of the military camp, heading northeast for roughly fifty li brought them to the main barbarian encampment. The barbarians had their own camp, but lacking the infusion of Skills, their camp was far less fortified—simply not comparable to those of the Jingjiu Dynasty. Thus, the barbarian race preferred field battles. Even in a defensive stance, they relied on numerous and extremely concealed covert sentries to discover the enemy early, then took the initiative in the wild to counter with offense rather than defense.

The method seemed simple but was very effective. Cheng Jinhou’s troops could not evade the dense covert sentries in front.

The Ratkin were skilled at climbing and tunneling; many covert sentries were these Ratkin, whose eyesight at night was exceptional, often spotting Jingjiu movements one or two li in advance.

This time, Cheng Jinhou made a change. He dispatched all High-Tier Cultivators meant for the main force, sending them out with the scouts to sweep and clear the barbarian covert sentries. With the High-Tier Cultivators’ perception and concealment prowess, Cheng Jinhou hoped to cover the army’s advance till within about one li of the enemy camp before discovery.

Do not underestimate one or two li of distance; for this operation, it was exceedingly critical. The burden on Cheng Jinhou’s shoulders was immense, his pressure overwhelming. Otherwise, the Fifth Elder of the mighty Super Sect Mountain of Ten Thousand Books would never have been assigned as his garrison.

"You must drive your enemy into panic and the peril of a broken camp."

This was the directive the Daoxing Chief’s Office gave to Cheng Jinhou. Tonight’s battle must be fought with the resolve of a decisive engagement, attacking with full force. Only by terrifying the frontmost barbarians, or making them feel a real threat of camp collapse, would they call for reinforcements from nearby posts. Thus, the subsequent plan of the Daoxing Chief’s Office could unfold smoothly.

Yet the ideal scenario did not arrive. Even after dispatching nearly all High-Tier Cultivators to clear barbarian covert sentries, some slipped through; as the army approached within three li of the barbarian camp, they were discovered. A piercing cry and a bonfire ablaze sufficed to alert the barbarian camp miles away.

"Three li... just a bit short." Although not perfect, Cheng Jinhou was not dissatisfied; three li was the closest they’d advanced to the enemy camp in all previous attempts. Moreover, with calculation against surprise, they could use the time lag to drive another li forward.

"Command Flag—have everyone spread out and launch the sudden attack according to plan, full speed!"

The war drums thundered. More than twenty thousand troops split into two columns, left and right, swiftly forming and charging toward the fire-lit enemy camp ahead. The first battle commenced.

At mid-3 a.m., after two hours of fierce combat, Cheng Jinhou’s forces pressed within a li of the barbarian camp, for the first time directly threatening the enemy encampment.

Stone projectiles and oil bombs were launched from catapults into the night, traversing more than a li to rain down upon the camp interior, igniting towering infernos...

Thus, the blow to barbarian morale was unprecedented.

"Are you sure this will force them to request reinforcements?" Xuan Tianqing, ever by Cheng Jinhou’s side, knew the full plan. Now, at this point in battle, without a surprise move, only attrition remained. Clearly, Zuo Yuliang disliked sacrificing soldiers through mere grinding.

"It’s inevitable. The barbarians know better than we do that losing this stronghold would plunge them into disaster. If that happened, both the central and lower Jianchuan barbarian forces would face encirclement. The line could even be pierced swiftly. They can’t afford the loss, nor dare risk it.

We fought hard before, but never with such resolve or directly at this position. If you were their leader, what would you do?"

"Retreat? Impossible. Fight? Feels dangerous. So, only call for help. But are you just going to wait here?"

"Wait? Rest assured, the barbarians aren’t so fragile. We can’t possibly reach their camp walls before dawn. Whether they send Thousand-Mile Sound or some other method for reinforcements, they’ll have time."

After explaining to Xuan Tianqing, Cheng Jinhou spoke to the messenger by his side: "Command Flag—have the catapults switch to oil bombs. Launch them all into the enemy camp. Pay attention to dispersal. Strike while moving. Once the oil bombs are spent, switch to stone shots against the camp walls—smash whatever you can."

...

By mid-5 a.m., low-lying fields were filled with Jingjiu Dynasty soldiers lying prone, surrounded by dozens of giant Concealing Arrays forming temporary hideouts, enough to shelter twenty thousand troops without giving off scent or aura. Unless one’s cultivation had reached the Profound Sea Realm and was within a li, these concealment methods could not be penetrated.

To build these arrays and ensure no flaws, several Profound Sea Realm masters from Central Army labored for a month to secure what seemed a perfect hideout.

The troops had already hidden there for nearly two hours. No one dared to speak; even breathing was quietly slowed and restrained. Their eyes flashed with tension and excitement. Only their toes inside their shoes curled and stretched from time to time, striving to keep their lower limbs from going numb.

These were the main forces of the Jingxi Army. Commander-in-Chief Zeng Zhou was also among them, lying low with his twenty thousand soldiers, all waiting for the barbarians to charge into their ambush.

Battle updates from the gate military camp were relayed every half-hour. Both Zeng Zhou and Cheng Jinhou agreed that the relentless assault at the gate would make the barbarians of the central region exceedingly anxious; even as a probe, they would surely dispatch troops for hasty reinforcements and would have to pass through this ambush site.

As 5 a.m. neared its end, faint tremors were felt through the earth—keenly sensed by the prone troops.

"Send the order: move your hands and feet, prepare for battle!"