The Demon Lords-Chapter 689 - 135 Stepping through the Joint Camp_2

In the past, the Situ Family's influence had already expanded beyond Snow Sea Pass, even building cities on the snowy plain. Consequently, no one paid much attention to the defense of the south side. Now, it was essential that they cleared it out as much as possible.

One regrettable fact was that Liang Cheng had personally inspected the armory inside Snow Sea Pass. It should have been stocked with a vast amount of weaponry, but after the wild people breached the pass, all those resources had apparently been looted. Not a speck was left.

Xue Three led a group to construct some defensive equipment for the city: simple watchtowers, swinging beams, wooden shields, barricades, and so on.

They didn't have time for extensive fortifications outside the city. Even with optimal designs, there wouldn't be enough time to execute them. Still, Liang Cheng ordered the construction of an earthen wall in front of the South Gate.

Overall, besides food, the city was missing everything. To completely restock in a short time would be challenging. To fully prepare everything, they would need at least a month. But now they had to speed up the work, patching up as much as possible.

In the past, using cavalry to defend a city would have been wasteful. But when the enemy also consisted mainly of cavalry, defending a city was indeed the most suitable strategy.

The Yan people were infamous for being poor at attacking cities. The Shengle Army might be a bit better than the average Yan Army. As for the wild people, there were few proper cities on the snowy plains where they lived. How could you expect them to understand sieges?

Therefore, after considering all aspects, relying on the city walls for defense still provided the highest cost-effectiveness and longevity.

Inside and outside Snow Sea Pass, everyone was tirelessly busy. Only General Zheng had some free time.

However, his leisure came with stipulations. General Zheng had to spend some time each day visiting specific spots to boost morale, truly playing his role as a motivating symbol.

「On the third day」 Jin Shuke and the vanguard led by the Eldest Prince returned. The other two assisting vanguards, each with a hundred riders, did not come back and likely wouldn't be.

Without their sacrifices and the confusion they had sown, the main force's successful surprise attack to capture Snow Sea Pass would have been nearly impossible.

The one silver lining was that the Eldest Prince was indeed tough to kill.

「Eventually, on the fifth day,」 scouts of the wild people appeared outside Snow Sea Pass.

After receiving the news, the soldiers and civilians who had been busy for five straight days finally got to rest. Those who had been cutting trees and setting fires outside had all returned to the city.

Seeing the Yan Black Dragon Flag and the "Zheng" flag hanging from the watchtower of Snow Sea Pass, the face of Liumuer, the Ten Thousand Households Chief who had arrived first, twisted in rage.

His division was originally assigned to guard Snow Sea Pass. However, due to Geremu's summons, he had taken his main force to help encircle and eliminate the Yan people. He didn't realize something was amiss until the encirclement failed and they couldn't find the Yan people. Only then did he instinctively sense something was wrong and hastily led his division back. Who would have expected that the banners on the city walls would have already changed!

Liumuer gritted his teeth, barely restraining himself from ordering a direct assault on the city. His emotions were running high because he knew what it meant for Snow Sea Pass to fall into the hands of the Yan people. Whether from a practical military standpoint or considering its impact on the morale of the frontline army, losing Snow Sea Pass was an unforgivable mistake on his part.

But he hadn't completely lost his head. The breach previously torn in the southern wall of Snow Sea Pass was now sealed. His warriors, having rushed back day and night, were utterly exhausted. He couldn't possibly order them to attack the city now, especially without even siege ladders! They don't even have ladders, how the hell can they attack a city!

In the end, Liumuer gave the order to make camp. On one hand, his warriors needed to rest and recover. On the other hand, the other Ten Thousand Households Chiefs would be arriving in the next day or two.

Since Snow Sea Pass is already lost, we'll all have to fight together to reclaim it, he thought. Yes, I bear some responsibility, but Geremu was the one who called me to mobilize my troops. Doesn't he bear any responsibility?

「…」

「Night fell.」

The South Gate of Snow Sea Pass was quietly opened, and an eight-hundred-man cavalry unit slipped out of the city. At this moment, the utility of the wall in front of the city gate became apparent. It shielded their exit from the wild people's scouts who were undoubtedly watching. Because it was night, and moonless tonight, this small cavalry unit managed to sneak out of the city stealthily.

This small cavalry unit represented the cream of the crop of the Yan Army within the pass.

Within it were General Zheng Fan, the principal commander Liang Cheng, Xue Three, A Ming, and Fanli.

If this small cavalry unit were annihilated by the wild people, Snow Sea Pass wouldn't just be breached; it would instantly descend into chaos.

Because then, it wouldn't just be a leaderless army; it would have lost its claws as well.

Under the cover of night, the cavalry first moved along the city wall. Only after covering some distance did they urge their horses into a gallop, and in an instant, they were clear of the city wall's vicinity.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Liumuer's camp, the unit halted.

Zheng Fan once again witnessed Liang Cheng's grasp of warfare. In my opinion, defending a city just means hunkering down and guarding it, Zheng Fan thought. Yet Liang Cheng had actually predicted where this first wave of wild people would make camp for the night. He had even arranged for Xue Three to bury caches of oil and kindling nearby beforehand.

These details had been planned when Liang Cheng sent men to burn and clear the forest, specifically leaving a "choice spot" for the wild people's vanguard.

"Everyone, get your torches ready! Wrap them yourselves! Come on, quickly!" The knights began to busy themselves.

Xue Three was personally smearing oil paste onto Fanli's great iron pot-helmet, asking as he did so, "Ah Li, are you wearing that gold-threaded vest Siniang wove for us?"

"Wearing it," Fanli's voice rumbled.

"Good. That thing can serve as a fireproof suit, so it should be mostly fine. If you do get burned, I have ointment."

"Got it."

Then, Xue Three nodded at Zheng Fan. "My lord, we're ready."

Zheng Fan habitually looked towards Liang Cheng. I'm okay at giving pre-battle pep talks and boosting morale, he thought, but when it comes to actual pre-battle deployment, I wouldn't dare meddle.

Liang Cheng immediately addressed the surrounding knights, "Per the Lord Commander's instructions, once we charge in, our first priority is to set their tents ablaze! Their encampment lacks peripheral barricades due to the scarcity of wood, making it easy to penetrate. But remember, after the initial charge, your only task is to ignite the fires. Throw down your torches and retreat immediately! We will regroup due north. Once reformed, we will launch a second charge together! In this second assault, we must break through their camp!

"Remember, you are all elites that I personally trained, while they are..."

"COUGH. COUGH." A Ming coughed pointedly from the side.

Liang Cheng immediately corrected himself, "You are all elites personally trained by General Zheng! And they are merely wild people. Don't be fooled by any semblance of order they might have learned; once the fires start, they'll descend into chaos.

"Don't overestimate them, and don't underestimate yourselves! In General Zheng's eyes, you are every bit as good as the elite troops of Yan's Zhenbei Army or Jingnan Army!

"Victory in this battle is assured!"

Then, Liang Cheng looked at Zheng Fan and said, "My lord, we can begin lighting the fires."

Zheng Fan nodded.

He pulled a small iron box from his chest armor, took out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips.

Then, he produced a flint lighter.

He first lit the cigarette in his mouth, then passed the lighter down for the men to ignite their torches.

Fanli, meanwhile, directly ignited the oil on his great iron pot-helmet.

Instantly, he became a towering inferno.

Zheng Fan took a drag from his cigarette, then slowly exhaled the smoke through his nose.

Holding the cigarette between his fingers, he casually flicked off the ash.

He leaned forward slightly.

Then, with the hand still holding the cigarette, he pointed towards the wild people's encampment. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Very calmly, he said, "Kill."

In an instant, torches were raised high, and hooves thundered like drums!