The Demon Lords-Chapter 714 - 150 Crush Them!_1

The nights of war are destined to be long.

On ordinary days, when you're tired, you go to bed. If you sleep well, you close your eyes, and when you open them again, the night has passed, and the day has dawned. Time slips by almost unnoticed.

But on the battlefield, few can truly relax enough to sleep soundly. Even seasoned veterans, though they might appear to sleep peacefully, even snore, are in reality keeping one eye half-open.

Ran Min couldn't sleep either—not from nervousness or fear, but from excitement.

He suddenly felt that his previous life had been utterly insignificant. It seemed only here, on this battlefield, could he find a life that truly belonged to him—a life of grandeur and magnificence.

The squad leader was also awake. His breathing was heavy; he was probably crying.

The pitch-black tent offered a good measure of concealment.

The two men who had died had served under the squad leader longer than Ran Min; they had come together from Yanjing, originally part of the Imperial Army.

Ran Min offered no comfort. At such times, everyone needed their own space, their own way to process things.

Ran Min had seen blacksmiths forging iron before. He felt this battlefield was like a huge smelting furnace, capable of melting down everything, whether useful or not, leaving only the purest essence. Was it refined iron or dross? Of course, it had to be refined iron, because dross would just be discarded on the ground, ignored by everyone.

Ran Min didn't know if the siege of Jade Plate City would continue tomorrow. The city loomed there like a natural chasm.

To attack it by force would be incredibly difficult; heaven knew how many lives would have to be sacrificed.

Ran Min didn't feel aggrieved, nor did he feel terrified. He didn't think his life was worth much. Ever since he killed Hou San in the government office, every day he had lived since felt like a bonus.

Moreover, Ran Min turned his head, looking at the squad leader lying beside him. It wasn't just his own life that was worthless; the squad leader's life wasn't worth much either. Outside, in the countless tents housing their brothers-in-arms, everyone's lives, in truth, weren't worth much.

Unable to sleep, Ran Min sat up, grabbed his armor, and continued to wipe it with a cloth strip.

He had actually wiped it down after returning from the battlefield, but now, he felt the urge to wipe it again.

The squad leader yawned, stretched, and, pretending Ran Min's movements had woken him, said, "What are you doing? Still not sleeping?"

"Wiping it again."

Ran Min caressed a dent on the armor's chest plate. This armor was truly fine; otherwise, the arrow shot down by the Chu people from the city wall during the day would have cost him his life.

"Heh, look at you, so meticulous," the squad leader chuckled.

"I can't bear to part with it. I have to touch it more," Ran Min said.

The squad leader sighed.

"Then touch it more," he said.

Suddenly, a booming sound echoed from the distance.

Startled, the squad leader sat bolt upright. Since he slept in his armor, he threw off his blanket and immediately grabbed his saber.

Outside the tent, shouts erupted; clearly, the distant commotion had alerted the entire encampment.

Ran Min exhaled onto the armor and continued to polish it.

The squad leader looked at him in surprise and snapped, "What time do you think it is?! Get armored and wait with me for the Captain's summons!"

Ran Min shook his head.

"It has nothing to do with us," he said calmly.

"You..."

Ran Min continued to wipe his armor, head down.

Suddenly, he smiled.

"Tell me," he said, "if I wear this armor, does that make me part of the Zhenbei Army or the Jingnan Army?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know."

Ran Min paused, then added, "But I should know soon enough."

...

At dawn, the wild people's army, split into three columns, began crossing the Wang River upstream!

The thunderous sound of galloping hooves shattered the last vestiges of the night's tranquility, like a long-dormant beast baring its terrifying fangs, ready to devour.

On the city wall, Qu TianNan, who had stood watch all night without rest, saw this movement and, without hesitation, ordered the signal soldier beside him, "Open the south, north, and west city gates! Troops, form ranks outside the city!"

The sword-maker, who had stood with Qu TianNan throughout the night, remained silent at first. Only after the signal soldier had departed did he speak, "The wild people, they're crossing the river, aren't they?"

Qu TianNan nodded, sighed, and said, "When I return to the capital, I must have an audience with the Fourth Prince. I will tell His Highness that we absolutely cannot allow those wild people to continue developing. That Wild People King is no simple man. If he truly consolidates his power, he will undoubtedly become a scourge upon our Great Chu in the future."

"And for now?"

"The future is the future; the present is the present. If that Wild People King dares to cross the river directly to attack the Yan Army's western encampment and Ying Capital City, then I must be willing to commit some of my core strength to tie down the Yan people's most elite forces, the Zhenbei Army and the Jingnan Army, here!

"In this battle, as long as we succeed, the Yan people will suffer another defeat like the one at Wang River. The lands of Three Jin, already mostly swallowed by the Yan people, might very well change hands. If the Fourth Prince consolidates the country sooner and sends more troops, our Great Chu has a chance to take half of the Three Jin lands!"

"Oh."

The sword-maker, who knew only of forging swords, nodded in understanding upon hearing Qu TianNan's words.

He was a professional in sword-making, so he strongly disliked anyone critiquing the swords he made in his presence. Similarly, knowing he was not a strategist, he would only question and listen to the words of Qu TianNan, the Zhuguai, never refute them.

Qu TianNan reached out, caressing the crenellations, listening to the grinding sound of the city gates opening below. He slowly said, "That Wild People King is several times more audacious than I imagined. Right now, I truly wish I could see the expression on the face of that Southern Marquis of Yan.

"HAHAHA! Weren't you trying to force the wild people into a decisive battle in the open field? Well, this gambit—how will you counter it now?"

Saying this, Qu TianNan clenched his fist and waved it. "The destiny of this Yan State is about to run out!"

...

Outside Jade Plate City, the Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army began to emerge from their encampments and form ranks. They dispatched three contingents, corresponding to the three city gates that Jade Plate City had opened.

Each of the three Chu army contingents numbered nearly ten thousand men. They formed square formations of axemen, spearmen, crossbowmen, and shield-bearers, relying on the city wall for support.

The heavy infantry of Great Chu were experts in formation tactics. Such military formations were difficult for even cavalry to break through easily, and they also had covering fire from the city walls above.

Three city gates stood wide open, and three Chu army contingents marched out. This was an act of provocation and, simultaneously, a posture indicating their readiness to attack the Yan camp at any moment.

However, the Zhenbei Army and the Jingnan Army each dispatched their own forces, forming a perimeter outside the three sections of the city wall, responding with equal composure.

The Chu army did not actively press an attack.

Nor were the Yan people tempted by the open city gates to try and storm the city.

At this moment, the armies of both sides beneath the city walls were plunged into a peculiar silence.

Ran Min carried the flag, the squad leader at his side.

The standoff had already lasted a considerable time.

The squad leader subconsciously muttered, "Why aren't they fighting yet?"

Yesterday's assault on the city was so fierce, wasn't it? How come today, even when the enemy has proactively opened their gates and arrayed their forces, we're not fighting?

Ran Min looked at the squad leader, raised the Black Dragon flag in his hand a little higher, and said, "What's your hurry?"

"How can I not be anxious? The wild people are crossing the river!"

"And then?" Ran Min asked in return.

"What 'and then'?"

The squad leader froze for a moment, then, as if realizing something, broke into a smile. "Yes, there's no need to rush."

...

The wild people's army crossed the river on three fronts. Their crossing was swift, as they disregarded the potential danger of the ice cracking. If any were unlucky, it was as if the Stars wished for them, calling them prematurely to their embrace.

This resulted in an extremely efficient river crossing.

By morning, more than eighty thousand wild people cavalry had crossed the Wang River, with even more continuously following.

The Wild People King was, in effect, staking everything on this one maneuver.

If they could win this battle, the entire situation would be completely reversed. The Yan Army holding Snow Sea Pass would become insignificant.

The situation in Three Jin, and even the entire Eastern political landscape, would be transformed by their actions.

Originally, the Wild People King had planned to return to the Snow Plains first, consolidate all the tribal forces there, and then seek new opportunities. But now, he had to act ahead of schedule.

O Stars, I do not know if you truly exist, but please, look upon the devotion and worship of so many of your holy people, and bless me!

Several wild people scout parties successively relayed the latest intelligence from the front.

"King, an army of Cheng State, numbering around twenty thousand, has emerged from Ying Capital City!"

"King, the right wing of the Yan Army's Central Military Camp is deploying!"

"King, the troops from the Yan Army's left wing camp are also deploying!"

"King, the Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army before Jade Plate City are being pinned down by the Chu army!"

As these reports arrived one after another, the Wild People King's eyes grew increasingly bright.

The elite Yan armies were at Jade Plate City on the other side of the river. Even if they were to disregard the Chu army threatening their flank at Jade Plate City and turn back to reinforce, they would be too late. He had already dispatched a Wanhu—a force of ten thousand—to the opposite bank to intercept and delay them.

Next, all he needed to do was concentrate his main force and defeat the combined forces of Yan's local troops, the Imperial Guards, and the Cheng State army.

Then, the overall situation would be decided!

The Wild People King raised his long saber and bellowed, "Advance, holy warriors blessed by the Stars! For our future, for our homeland, KILL!"

...

The Cheng State army within Ying Capital City swiftly deployed.

The forces from the Central Military Camp and other flanking garrisons were also rapidly deploying from their stockades.

They quickly converged on the open plain before the Central Military Camp. Less than twenty li ahead lay the main force of the wild people army that had crossed the river.

And they, this defending force, were a motley army composed of Cheng State troops, Yan State's local forces, and Imperial Guards from Yanjing, all with disparate armor and banners.

It seemed as if the disastrous defeat of the previous Wang River campaign was about to be repeated.

Just then, a roar from a Pixiu rang out!

It was followed by the appearance of a figure in gilded armor at the head of the army.

At that moment, all the cavalrymen held their breath and straightened their chests!

Tian Wujing, riding his Pixiu, passed along the front line of the army, his gaze sweeping over the faces of these cavalrymen.

Finally, Tian Wujing, channeling his qi and blood as a Martial Cultivator, roared, "Let this Marquis see if, having changed out of your old armor, you are still the same men!!!"

With that said, Tian Wujing raised his Kunwu blade and roared, "Jingnan Army, where are you!"

SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH!

The forty thousand soldiers of the left wing army all raised their sabers in unison.

Tian Wujing turned his Pixiu towards the right wing and roared, "Zhenbei Army, where are you!"

SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH! SHWISH!

Under Li Fusheng's command, the more than forty thousand cavalrymen of the right wing also raised their sabers!

Tian Wujing wheeled his Pixiu around to face east, towards the dust cloud churned up by the approaching wild people cavalry, and roared, "Yan Iron Cavalry, where are you!!!!!!!"

"HU!"

"HU!"

"HU!"

Their momentum was earth-shattering, their killing aura pierced the heavens!

Lord Jingnan pointed his blade eastward and ordered, "Crush them."