Chapter 1530 – Assault on Nie Liang, Attack on Yang Tao, Sword Pointing at the World (69)
“What are you dawdling for? Fight back!”
Jiang Pengji unsheathed her Zhan Shen Dao, her eyes glinting with ferocity.
The Deputy General responded, “This subordinate obeys!”
Jiang Pengji was eager to charge out for a good slaughter, but sadly, she still needed to command the troops on how to fend off the enemy’s ambush and seize the moment for a counterattack. The enemy had the upper hand, unleashing a rain of arrows right off the bat, disrupting our army’s formation. If there was no main commander to direct when the enemy charged in, the casualties would be dreadful. Jiang Pengji was wild at heart, but never let it interfere with business.
“I wonder how things are over at Fengjing’s side—”
These soldiers were truly elite, well-trained over the years. Jiang Pengji often arranged military drills with all kinds of unexpected situations practiced. Thus, even though the enemy had taken the first shot, after the first wave of arrows, they quickly regrouped and assumed a defensive stance.
This was the least damaging move and a true reflection of a military’s combat quality.
Meanwhile, the scouts Jiang Pengji dispatched were desperately chasing after the forces of Qin Gong and Bai Ning.
However, it was nighttime, visibility was limited, and with much effort, they finally found the marching route of the two armies, which wasted considerable time.
By the time they caught up to both, the situation had changed.
Bai Ning was naturally cautious; even when leading troops to chase the enemy, he’d still be vigilant, so his speed was slower. By the time the scout caught up, the army hadn’t encountered an ambush yet. Bai Ning was surprised by the scout’s sudden appearance and quickly delivered the message.
“Retreat!”
Bai Ning was stunned for a moment but then realized the implications and immediately ordered the army to turn back.
But the enemy was secretly observing them, and such a noticeable retreat was hard to miss.
Suddenly, the once pitch-black valley burst into countless orange flames as numerous fire arrows rained down from the sky.
Bai Ning’s heart sank, but he maintained a calm exterior. His soldiers, as if given a tranquilizer, organized their retreat while defending.
Was he not panicking?
Of course, he was utterly terrified!
He never expected this was a trap set by the enemy! But—Bai Ning knew that as the commander, he couldn’t show panic. Once he panicked, the entire army would scatter like headless flies, soon to be encircled and annihilated by the enemy.
If Bai Ning’s luck was still somewhat good, Qin Gong’s side was considerably more unfortunate, falling straight into the enemy’s trap.
When the scouts arrived, chaos reigned, both armies were locked in brutal combat.
Flames spread, almost painting the sky like broad daylight.
The sounds of soldiers clashing pierced the air, sharp and shrill, as if they could perforate eardrums.
The enemy’s ambush was incredibly sudden. Although Qin Gong was unharmed, memories of being blocked in the Guxu Canyon by Han Yu with Yang Si flooded back.
He couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly, lamenting his poor luck of being ambushed time and again.
First it was Han Yu, now it was Wei Ying.
However, last time he was saved by the Lord, this time he could only rely on himself and the soldiers around him!
If he didn’t fight for a way out, he might just end up buried here.
At this point, Qin Gong still recalled the words of the Lord before they left.
[“Let’s not speak of things like ‘After this battle, I will get married, warm bed with wife and kids’ – those kinds of things are best left unsaid.”]
[“I’ve heard that those who mentioned such things before battle tended to have a one-way ticket to the afterlife.”]
A one-way ticket?
The enemy had set this ambush with the clear intention of ensuring they wouldn’t return.
Qin Gong didn’t want to die here; he still had achievements to make, merits to accumulate, so he could go back and marry Xu Yansiao, protecting her for a lifetime.
Far in the rear, Xu Yansiao woke abruptly in the middle of the night, and the maidservant sleeping outside rushed in, draping on a garment.
“Is the Eldest Lady getting up for a night visit?”
As the maid brought the candle closer, she noticed Xu Yansiao’s nightgown was nearly soaked with sweat.
“It’s not— I just had a really terrifying dream, but now I can’t remember any of it—”
The maidservant said, “Look at the Eldest Lady, drenched in sweat. It’s likely a night terror. I’ll go call someone from the kitchen to prepare a calming soup.”
Xu Yansiao shook her head, “No need; it’s the middle of the night; if I drink soup, I won’t be able to sleep.”
The maidservant said, “In that case, I’ll stay and keep you company for a while.”
Xu Yansiao lightly nodded.
This maid was sent by Qin Gong; attentive and caring, her actions were quick and nimble. Xu Yansiao quite liked her.
Thinking of Qin Gong, an inexplicable sense of urgency surged in her chest.
“Does the Eldest Lady feel unwell?”
Seeing Xu Yansiao clutch her chest, her brow furrowed and lips pale, the maidservant became anxious.
Xu Yansiao said, “The dream I just had— it seemed related to Qin Sanlang. Could something have happened to him on the front lines?”
Since the two of them reached an understanding, Xu Yansiao had started to call him Qin Sanlang.
It neither felt too intimate nor too distant.
The maidservant said, “They say dreams are the opposite of reality. Qin Langjun is a valiant fighter; how could anything happen to him?”
Xu Yansiao remained doubtful, her heart still uneasy.
The maidservant then tried to soothe her to sleep. Xu Yansiao couldn’t help but reach under her pillow, her fingers brushing against a cold jade hairpin.
【…I learned from the craftsman, this fox hairpin is crudely carved. Once the conflict at the front ends, I’ll get the Eldest Lady a finer one.】
Xu Yansiao couldn’t help but grip it tightly, as if it might lend her some strength.
“You promised to come back and marry me—”
She had been embroidering her wedding gown for days, and in another half a year it would be completed, just in time for her coming-of-age ceremony. After the ceremony, they could marry.
Hearing her soft mutter, the maidservant chuckled, “Besides the Eldest Lady, who else could be in Qin Langjun’s heart?”
Xu Yansiao flushed, her frantic heart calming down significantly.
As for the situation on Qin Gong’s side, it was certainly not as dire; thanks to the army’s fierce combat quality, even with the enemy’s rapid offensive, they managed to hold their formation. As the combat dragged on, the situation gradually stabilized. Qin Gong, though a mere mortal, couldn’t avoid injury amidst the chaos but seemed oblivious, commanding the troops, seizing opportunities to break through.
“It’s not wise to fight longer; since this is an enemy trap, the longer we drag it out, the worse it’ll be for us!”
Injured, but Qin Gong’s mind was clear.
Facing the enemy’s ambush, they could only minimize losses as much as possible. Thirty-six strategies suggest retreating is the best!
The Deputy General beside him said, “General, haven’t you noticed something off?”
Qin Gong clutched his arm, a fierce look crossing his face, “The enemy’s numbers are suspicious; most likely, they split their forces to attack Zhanjiang Pass.”
Since this was a trap set up by the enemy, it meant the previous retreat of the Nie Clan was a ruse.
The enemy still had over 200,000 troops available; even if split into three divisions, the forces lying in ambush surely weren’t of such numbers.
It wasn’t hard to deduce that the enemy was likely drawing residual troops to attack Zhanjiang Pass.
A trap laid out for the unsuspecting, one thing leading to another—clearly, it was a kill zone.
The Deputy General asked, “General, what should we do?”
“First, unite with the Lord’s forces.”
