Chapter 976 – Battle of the Northern Frontier (Thirteen)
“Perfect, an empty ship!”
Wu Libai set up straw dummies on the boat and lit torches, trying to attract Jiang Pengji’s attention this way.
If it were someone else, they’d likely fall for it.
Even without a frenzied volley of arrows, it would draw a group of soldiers to the riverbank, standing by in full force.
As long as Jiang Pengji’s main force was diverted here, Wu Libai’s plan of feinting east to strike west would be achieved.
However, Wu Libai’s opponent was Sun Wen, a late bloomer who had once played the Northern Frontier court like a fiddle.
Sun Wen was cautious and meticulous; he would thoroughly understand his opponent until they were utterly analyzed.
As the wise man of the Northern Frontier, Wu Libai was a key target for Sun Wen’s detailed assessments.
Once the enemy has thoroughly figured you out, even the most brilliant schemes are just a joke.
The feint had completely failed.
A Messenger delivered the intel, “The enemy ships have landed. Checked, and there are only straw dummies and a small soldier at the helm.”
Jiang Pengji clicked her tongue and said to Li Yun, “Now it’s our turn. Han Mei, let’s go.”
Wu Libai’s attention-grabbing empty ship was sure to allow him to stealthily land from another location and launch a surprise attack. Instead of playing hide-and-seek with them, it’d be best to stay put, hold the camp’s defensive line, and wait for them to come!
Li Yun tightened his grip on the Silver Spear, appearing cold on the outside, but his heart was surging with blood.
He wasn’t bloodthirsty or war-hungry, but he wasn’t content with peace either.
In this chaotic world, only by following the Lord would his family and loved ones be able to live peaceful and harmonious lives.
The Lord had once mumbled a saying that made a lot of sense to Li Yun—
“The so-called tranquil days are only possible because someone else bears the burdens for you.”
As the head of a family, as a son, a husband, and a father… he willingly carried everything for them.
Night cloaked the earth in darkness.
The Northern Frontier’s night wind was cold as a knife, stinging his face with piercing pain, as if it could reach the bones, chilling him to the core.
Having just arrived, Jiang Pengji’s camp was still under construction.
The outer defenses were complete, but to the Northern Frontier Cavalry, those flimsy wooden fences were as good as paper, utterly worthless.
Most tents inside the camp were still not set up, and he could vaguely see moving silhouettes outside, likely patrol Soldiers.
Wu Libai had calculated the timing to disembark in batches, preparing to take down Jiang Pengji’s thirty thousand elite vanguard.
As long as he successfully defeated the Liu Clan’s front forces and weakened their morale, there would be little concern for the main army afterward.
Wu Libai had fought in countless battles, yet this was his first time battling against the Central Plains in his own backyard.
A flare shot into the sky; hearing the command, the Northern Frontier soldiers charged towards Jiang Pengji’s camp with fierce intensity.
A fire arrow landed in the camp, igniting a blazing inferno in an instant.
Wu Libai drew his long knife and shouted with all his might.
“Charge—”
As initially anticipated, the simple camp defenses couldn’t withstand the ferocity of the Northern Frontier Cavalry.
After one wave of charge, the outer barriers crumbled to ruins, utterly demolished.
Wu Libai led a thousand troops for this ambush, with Cavalry making up fifty percent!
Originally, it was expected that Jiang Pengji’s Soldiers would be deep in slumber; even if they reacted, they would surely be in chaos due to the sudden attack, unable to organize an effective defense, let alone a counterattack—
Once Jiang Pengji’s army lost order in panic, it would be a golden opportunity for the Northern Frontier to expand and reap the rewards.
Wu Libai charged directly towards the camp’s stores.
No matter how elite the force, once they ran out of food, even with minimal casualties, their morale would plummet.
But the situation that unfolded next exceeded Wu Libai’s expectations.
The Soldiers bursting from the tents were not in disarray; instead, each donned heavy armor, wielding hefty shields and long knives.
The heavy shields formed a scaled formation, effectively halting the Cavalry’s charge.
With seamless coordination, blades flashed; the warhorses beneath the warriors screamed, blood gushed out like a crimson pillar.
The Northern Frontier Cavalry attempted to attack with their long spears, but the spear tips couldn’t pierce the shield wall, leaving no trace behind, and they risked being skewered or cut in half if they failed to withdraw in time—
There were plenty of these Soldiers, but due to the limitations of their armor and weapons, their mobility suffered.
To make up for this mobility deficit, they often had other types of units working alongside them.
The Northern Frontier Cavalry fell into chaos, as the heavy shields blocked them, diminishing the advantages of the horses’ speed.
Meanwhile, Wu Libai also realized something was off—
Their ambush had been countered!
Wu Libai gritted his teeth, hacked down a few men, and decisively ordered.
“Retreat—”
Since this was a premeditated ambush, it wouldn’t be easy for Wu Libai to slip away.
Before long, there was commotion in the rear formation—seemed like enemies had circled around to launch a surprise attack from behind—
Wu Libai’s face darkened.
The clamor of battle continued unabated.
Though the Northern Frontier had come to ambush, they hadn’t gained the upper hand, only boasting a little over ten thousand men.
Jiang Pengji, despite being ambushed, had prepared for battle ahead of time, with thirty thousand elite troops ready to strike.
As the two armies met, the Northern Frontier troops were caught off guard.
In a chaotic fight, not only did numbers matter but also individual combat skills and teamwork.
The Northern Frontier soldiers were brawny and didn’t flinch in one-on-one, but who among Jiang Pengji’s forces wasn’t battle-hardened?
Not to mention the male soldiers, even the female troops had abs made of steel!
And when it came to teamwork, there was no need to elaborate.
Though Jiang Nong Qin was a female sergeant, she could still command the male troops.
Skillfully maneuvering her horse, she led a flank attack from the Northern Frontier’s rear.
Finally, she shouted, “The Northern Frontier is defeated! The Northern Frontier is defeated!”
“The old bastard Wu Libai is dead—”
The night grew dark, and the surroundings turned into a complete chaotic mess, with Wu Libai’s side floundering and struggling to cope.
They couldn’t even care for their own, much less receive accurate information!
As Jiang Nong Qin led her forces to ambush their rear and shouted those words, many Northern Frontier soldiers believed it to be true.
Morale plummeted like a burst dam, and they turned to flee.
To dare turn and run amidst chaos was not just fleeing; it was delivering warm hospitality and easy pickings for the enemy!
The confusion and turmoil in the rear swiftly spread like a snowball to the front.
Wu Libai heard the soldiers frantically yelling, nearly spitting blood in rage.
“Dead my ass, I’m right in front of you!”
Seeing trouble brewing, Wu Libai had no choice but to order a retreat, all while trying to quell the rumors affecting morale, to stabilize his side.
But with the chaos rampant, Wu Libai’s efforts yielded little effect.
Amid thundering hooves, over ten thousand troops left behind thousands of corpses, retreating in disarray to the banks of the Chuan River.
By the time they realized Wu Libai wasn’t dead and had been duped, they had already lost the opportunity to counterattack.
