The figures in the sky fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, the woman in court attire said, “Even if he is wishing for us to intervene, the wisp of fortune would be sufficient as payment. He’s a good boy.”

The middle-aged man from the Hsu Clan added, “In a life-or-death battle, he neither hoards a priceless treasure to himself, nor forgets to look after his comrades and subordinates. He definitely has the bearing of a great general.”

After exchanging a few words of praise, they suddenly noticed a middle-aged man of unremarkable appearance had appeared beside them.

The elderly man surnamed Cui asked, “What wind has blown you here, Brother Li?”

The middle-aged man pointed, and in the eyes of the group, two figures—a young man and a young woman—abruptly glowed on the chaotic battlefield below. They were among the sixteen young masters and ladies.

“These two weren’t particularly outstanding back at the clan, but recently, they had somehow become the proud owner of Heaven Merits, and their military merits had been skyrocketing as well. The family was curious, so I came over to see what’s going on.”

On the battlefield, the two young members of the Li Clan were currently locked in a bloody struggle. They were both wielding spears. Their spear techniques were refined and devoid of any superfluous movements, causing everyone who was watching from above to nod in approval.

Suddenly, the elderly man surnamed Wang let out a surprised “Huh?” He then said, “The essence of these children’s spear techniques are quite similar to each other. Could it be that they had learned all this only after arriving here?”

The middle-aged man from the Hsu Clan replied, “That must be the case. Yi’er originally studied the Dao of the Sword and has never had any exposure to spear techniques before. She wasn’t interested in spears to begin with.”

The spear was a killing weapon that was made for the battlefield. Massive in size, it remained unwieldy to extend or retract at will even after it had been fashioned into a mystic artifact. Furthermore, spear techniques were focused on drawing blood and subduing the enemy in a single thrust, which was why almost no young ladies from noble clans had ever learned to wield a spear.

A glint flashed in the eyes of the woman in court attire. “If they truly only began to learn here, to master the spear to this level after just one month is no small feat.”

It was truly rare for her to praise something as “no small feat”. The compliment was such that the two elders stopped playing their game and began to observe the battlefield intently.

To the northeast, a vast army surged forward like a torrent of iron. Within the ranks, numerous deep-blue banners were raised, each embroidered with the word “Speed” in gold thread. The banner radiated a unified aura of military might, and the soldiers marched in perfect unison, each step spanning one zhang. They could cover a hundred li in just an hour.

At the center of the army were a number of large chariots. It was clear from the clouds billowing beneath them that they were mystic artifacts. Despite their immense size, the wheels left only shallow ruts in the road.

A bird flew straight into a tower chariot[1] at the center of the formation. Upon landing, it transformed into a soldier, who reported, “Commander, I’ve ascertained the Shamans’ movements! The middle guard is eighty thousand strong and three hundred li from us. The rear guard is fifty thousand strong and three hundred and eight li from us. The middle guard is marching at a rate of fifty li per hour, and the rear guard at forty li per hour.”

Over a dozen generals were standing inside the tower chariot. Half of them were wearing the military uniforms of the northern frontier, each one radiating a murderous aura and towering presence that was clearly superior to their counterparts.

Yue Jinshan silently calculated the directions while studying the map. Suddenly, he said in a deep voice, “This is a ruse!”

Several generals looked at Yue Jinshan, puzzled. Yue Jinshan asked the soldier, “Did you personally observe the strength of the middle guard?”

The soldier dared not lie to him. “I did not, commander. I was afraid that I would be detected by the Great Warlocks, so I only observed their army aura from afar and calculated it based on the dimensions of the formations, and the number of soldiers on the periphery.”

This was standard military practice. Some Great Warlocks possessed the ability to sense heaven and earth. These reconnaissance soldiers were merely at the Dao Foundation stage; they would certainly be exposed if they had gotten too close.

Yun Jinshan ordered, “Scout again, and send more people! No matter the cost, I must know the true strength of the Shamans’ middle guard!”

The soldier’s face hardened with resolve as he accepted the order and departed. This one order meant that countless lives would be lost to the Shamans.

Yue Jinshan furrowed his brow and said slowly, “If my guess is correct, the Shaman’s main force lies not with the middle guard, but the rear guard. They are just waiting for us to come to them. When we are ready to wipe out the rear guard in one fell swoop, we’ll discover that we are actually going up against their main force. This army... isn’t targeting the realm. It’s targeting us!”

Many of the generals present were Yue Jinshan’s longtime subordinates from the northern frontier. Naturally, they had complete faith in their commander’s abilities. One of them suggested, “In that case, let’s just head over there and fight there!”

Another general proposed, “Alternatively, we can speed up and charge their middle guard directly. If the Shamans really are bluffing, considering that nearly a hundred li stand between their front and rear armies, we should have enough time to crush them first.”

They were both fierce warriors from the northern frontier.

However, a general transferred from Western Jin suggested, “Why not hold out ground and wait for the Shamans to come to us? This way, we’ll be rested while they tire themselves out. Our victory would be assured.”

A northern general disagreed, “Unacceptable! What if the Shamans first annihilate the realm before turning back to engage us in a decisive battle?”

“The realm’s fate has nothing to do with us.”

The northern general retorted, “Splitting up one’s forces is a cardinal sin of warfare. Even if we intend to use the realm as a stepping stone, we must launch our surprise attack while the Shamans are still besieging them. Only then can we inflict the maximum amount of damage. A single realm has little strength; it won’t take much energy for the Shamans to swallow them up. When the time comes, they would still be at full strength, and they wouldn’t have to worry about their rear any longer.”

The mainland general, though, refused to accept his explanation. “The realm is full of rebels. If they all die, it’ll be one less headache for us. Even if they fail to wear down the enemy much, they can still take out a few thousand enemy troops. Why not wait until the fighting there is winding down before we set out? That way, we’ll arrive just as the Shamans are mopping up that battlefield, and we would still be capable of fulfilling His Majesty’s wishes—wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”

The northern frontier general’s eyes widened in fury. “Our allies are in peril, and your choice is to stand idly by? If this was the northern frontier, I’d be the first to chop your head off!”

“Enough.” A single, calm statement from Yue Jinshan silenced the generals.

He studied the map intently, then said after a moment, “We will press on and strike directly at the rear guard! We’ve all fought the Liao barbarians in the northern frontier. If the Shamans want a fight, we might as well test their mettle.”

The mainland general’s expression shifted slightly. “Commander, the Shamans are well-prepared. Is a head-on clash really necessary? Why don’t we target the middle guard first?”

Yue Jinshan replied calmly, “Even if we defeat the enemy’s middle guard, we’ll still need to face the rear guard. But if we crush their main force outright, then both their middle guard and vanguard will fall into our hands effortlessly.”

The northern frontier general grew even more displeased, cursing, “Who the hell do you think you are to ask so many questions? How the commander conducts his campaign is none of your business! You can fuck right off if you don’t want to fight—but leave your troops behind!”

The mainland general dared not say another word, but he glared fiercely at the northern frontier general who cursed at him, his eyes filled with venom.

At Yue Jinshan’s command, the army changed course slightly and picked up speed. They began surging toward the Shamans’ rear guard.

But after marching only a few dozen li, a fierce blue bird suddenly darted toward them like lightning and transformed into human form before Yue Jinshan. The man wore blue official robes and a jade sash—the colors of a court official. As soon as he appeared, he declared, “His Majesty has issued an order: you are to halt your advance immediately and must not engage the Shamans in battle!”

The northern frontier generals erupted in an uproar, but the mainland generals remained silent, exchanging furtive glances with each other.

Yue Jinshan pondered for a moment before accepting the royal edict and placing it on the table. “A general in the field may not receive his sovereign’s commands. I am the commander of this army, and a formidable enemy stands before us. Thus, I shall act as I see fit. Issue the order: the army shall press forward!”

1. I translated it as tower chariot, but I believe it’s a crow’s nest chariot. It has a higher chassis, reinforced wheels, and a tower on its cab so that one man—sometimes even the army commander himself—could better view the battlefield and pass on orders to the flag wavers who communicated manoeuvres on the ancient Chinese battlefield. Attached below is an image of what a crow’s nest chariot looks like. ☜