Chapter 979 – War at the Northern Border (Sixteen)
“Wait… has Liu Xi gone mad?”
Realizing the source of the war drums, Dai Wang suddenly jumped up from his throne, his expression twisting into one of rage, like an angered trapped beast.
“This is a great opportunity, Dai Wang!”
Halencha was taken aback; he hadn’t expected Jiang Pengji to be so bold, choosing to attack instead of regrouping after a resounding victory.
However, he was calmer than Dai Wang and quickly grasped the key point.
If they could repel Jiang Pengji head-on and deliver a heavy blow, it would surely boost the declining morale.
Recalling Halencha’s previous words, Dai Wang clenched his jaw tightly, his cheeks tensed.
“I have an army of five hundred thousand! If she wishes to fight, then let her fight! Let this Liu Thief go back empty-handed!”
Seeing the bloodthirsty grin on Dai Wang’s face, Halencha silently sighed—
Hopefully, everything goes smoothly!
At this moment, Halencha felt slightly regretful; why did he need to compete with Wu Libai?
He had managed to outshine Wu Libai largely due to Sun Wen’s meticulous planning.
Now, without Sun Wen to strategize for him, Halencha could only rely on himself to maintain his current position of power, which was truly a challenging endeavor.
Flags fluttered, drums thundered, and the resounding sounds of horns floated across the river with the breeze.
Dai Wang rode in a luxurious carriage, personally providing support to the soldiers at the Northern Border.
Not long ago, Wu Libai had been reprimanded and confined to a small dark room, temporarily losing his military authority. His position was filled by his vice general.
On the eastern bank of the Chen Shui River, Jiang Pengji’s army was in impeccable formation, lined up uniformly.
The soldiers brimmed with confidence, their eyes shining brightly, each one resembling a poised pike, exuding overwhelming spirit.
Who would have thought that this highly spirited army had fought through the night?
When it came to battle prowess, just looking at their energy and orderly ranks, one could tell this army was among the best in the world.
The war drums roared, sending ripples across the river’s surface, and a chilling air of tension clung to the atmosphere.
Dai Wang, sitting in the carriage, breathed rapidly, gazing at the tightly packed figures on the opposite bank, his hands instinctively gripping the armrest.
Previously mocking the Han nationality’s idiom “Every tree and post is an enemy,” he now found it laughable that he couldn’t distinguish if the shadows across the river were people or trees!
Why did these thirty thousand vanguard troops carry such might?
On the eastern bank of the Chen Shui River, Jiang Pengji donned clean armor, her face unblemished, her clear eyes still emanating bloodthirst that hadn’t dissipated.
Addressing the drummer soldiers, she commanded, “Step down, let me have those drumsticks.”
The soldier dared not refuse, respectfully handing over a pair of drumsticks.
Jiang Pengji took the drumsticks and stood in the spot where the drummer had just been.
She tested the weight of the sticks, listening to the rhythms of the other drums, raised her arms, and began keeping time.
Boom—
A high-pitched, thundering drumbeat resounded, harmonizing with the other war drums yet sounding more vibrant and resonant.
Boom boom—
The tempo of the drumming increased from a deep, slow beat to a sharp, rapid rhythm, like a sudden downpour that sent adrenaline soaring.
Jiang Pengji personally took to the drums to rally her soldiers, and the already high morale skyrocketed.
Listening to the booming beats, the emotions of the audience in the live stream soared; they trembled as if electrified, a tingling sensation coursing through them.
As for the soldiers present, they were even more excited, each one fired up as if they’d just been injected with adrenaline.
“Cross the river—”
Over a thousand soldiers boarded the rafts and wooden boats, charging toward the opposite bank.
Not only were the soldiers on the Northern Border stunned, but the audience in the live stream was as well.
[Bo Tu Si’s Dance Mi]: Host, don’t joke around! Forcing a river crossing like this puts you at a disadvantage! Once you’re in the enemy’s range, you’ll be sitting ducks. High morale can’t cover up the stupidity of sending heads to cross the river—you’re asking for it!
On the other side, the Northern Border soldiers had already lined up on the riverbank, steadily drawing their bows; as soon as this batch crossed, they would unleash a hail of arrows.
[Stowaway Non-Money]: No rush. Even if the host is a white lotus flower, her subordinates Sun Wen and Feng Zhen are just bean buns—black-hearted ones, at that.
[Old Driver Alliance]: Haha, this scene suddenly reminds me of Zhuge’s seven captures of Meng Huo crossing the Lu River…
Just as the comment was sent, the first batch of soldiers had already crossed the heart of the Chen Shui River.
The Northern Border army on the western bank couldn’t wait to take a shot, but as expected, all those arrows fell harmlessly into the water.
The group of over a thousand soldiers remained unfazed, continuing across the river, getting closer to the shooting range—
Closer and closer—
As the second wave of chaotic arrows flew, the enemy that should have been within range abruptly turned their boats, leaving only their retreating backs.
Swish!
With a smile on her face, Jiang Pengji struck the drum again, the sound growing even louder.
Feng Zhen arranged for the second batch of soldiers to board the rafts and boats, his gaze flickering with mischievous delight.
Most of the crossing boats had been captured from the Northern Border, with only a few made from lumber they had chopped down themselves.
“What trick is Liu Xi playing?”
Dai Wang, viewing the spectacle with great interest, anticipated the moment when a volley of arrows would turn the crossing enemies into a hedgehog.
Little did he know, it was just a tease before they would pack up and leave.
Dai Wang’s eyes bulged with rage.
The first and second batches of soldiers met on the river, totaling about three thousand as they leisurely made their way to the western bank. Just as they were about to enter the shooting range, another wave of arrows flew across, prompting the soldiers to retreat without a care—
Damn, they playfully teasing again and again?!
Dai Wang was furious, slamming the armrests of his carriage, cursing loudly.
How can this feeling be described?
It was like one man and one woman went to a hotel to get down to business, finally building up some chemistry, but then one of them suddenly decides to pull up their pants and leave!
Once was fine, but they came back for a second, third, and fourth time—
The Northern Border was like that poor victim being toyed with, their already low morale plummeting further.
Dai Wang was absolutely furious; he decisively ordered for his soldiers to board the ships too.
If the mountain won’t come to me, then I’ll go to the mountain! Let’s see if I can’t take down these little turtles!
However, before he could issue that command, Halencha intervened.
“Dai Wang, you mustn’t—”
“What do you mean I mustn’t?” Dai Wang was on the verge of exploding with anger.
Halencha replied, “Upon careful observation, they can maintain order on the water without chaos, clearly indicating they’re seasoned water troops! Once we take to the water, our forces will only find themselves at a greater disadvantage. I urge the Dai Wang to reconsider and not act rashly!”
Although the Northern Border soldiers could swim, they were originally cavalry galloping on land, not water troops, and engaging in naval combat was well beyond their expertise.
After hearing this, Dai Wang turned a shade greener.
Sun Wen, having witnessed the soldiers’ performance, was somewhat astonished.
Even though the Chen Shui River wasn’t particularly wide, it certainly differed from typical rivers and seas, yet these soldiers displayed such capability on the water that they could rival ordinary water forces. Who would have trained them to achieve such miraculous feats?
Sun Wen casually asked, and Jiang Nongqin replied, “Qi Kuang.”
“Qi Kuang?”
Sun Wen pondered for a moment, truly unable to recall who this person was.
