"However, if we do not pursue them now, the Chu Army might escape," Guo Ling retorted. Last time in Nanyang, he led forty thousand Qin soldiers to encircle and attack Wan City. The troops even fought their way into the city; they only needed the time of an incense stick to capture the city, but were pushed back by Man Cang’s reinforcements, compelling him to "spit out the meat in the mouth."

"Here’s the plan: you will lead twenty thousand men in pursuit. Move swiftly, but do not be careless, as the Chu Army is likely to set ambushes along the way, and I hope to avoid unnecessary casualties," Wang Li ordered.

"Understood."

"Wait a moment." Just as Guo Ling was about to leave, Wang Li suddenly called out to him.

"General, do you have any other instructions?"

"I will personally lead the troops. Pass the order to mobilize my guard, gather thirty thousand troops, and chase down the Chu Army," Wang Li said decisively, leaving Guo Ling momentarily unresponsive.

"This... General, the Chu Army’s retreat is via a mountain path, which is unfavorable for deploying large forces. It is suitable for a Chu ambush. As the commander of the entire army, how can you put yourself in jeopardy?" Guo Ling advised.

"Ha ha, I have been through countless battles, why should I fear the terrain? Guo, Little Brother, you probably don’t know who has been commanding the Chu Army, confronting us for four days, do you?"

"Well... I only know that the Chu Army’s commander is Huo Ziqing, a trusted general of Mi Wen. He has some talent and is a capable general, following rules diligently in battle formations and strategies. However, he struggles with exceptional tactics, so... I do not consider him a distinguished general."

"You are not wrong, very fair. If faced with a tough battle like with the Wolf Clan, Huo Ziqing, proficient in formations and tactics, should be an excellent general. However, against a cunning opponent, he might fall short." Wang Li said calmly, "Since you do not know, let me inform you that it was Ye Shikai commanding the Chu Army these four days, along with a few subordinates including Man Cang, who repelled you at Wan City."

"What, it’s really them; it’s a small world for enemies." Hearing this news, Guo Ling appeared indignant. In the Battle of Nanyang, Ye Shikai’s fame spread across the land. In contrast, Wang Li, the grandson of Wang Jian, a descendant of a General’s Family, suffered a humiliating retreat. Not to speak of counterattacking the Chu Army; he couldn’t even hold Nanyang. As Deputy General, Guo Ling naturally could not accept such a disgrace, so hearing the rival commander was Ye Shikai, he immediately displayed a fighting spirit.

"Indeed, Ye Shikai, initially an inconspicuous figure, rose to prominence amidst the empire’s war with the Wolf Clan, winning a few victories. He saved Meng Tian by chance, earning his appreciation. And Man Cang, once an officer of the Wei Wu Zuo in the Wei State during the Seven Kingdoms, accomplished many military feats. After Wei State was destroyed, he became forced labor but was conscripted as a convict soldier during the Wolf Clan war, eventually rising under Ye Shikai’s recommendation to become General Man today."

"I did not expect the General to be so informed about them; I am impressed," Guo Ling said, bowing slightly.

"As a talent in the military, ignoring the knowledge of one’s enemy makes one a mediocre general. Besides, this is our second confrontation. For anyone who has defeated me, I investigate them, understand them, and discern their weaknesses, which allows me to defeat them."

"Back then, the five thousand elite Wei Wu Zuo defeated five hundred thousand Qin soldiers, making their name resound across the land. Ye Shikai applied the Wei Wu Zuo training methods to himself, creating the Iron Armor Army, led by Man Cang. Most of his achievements are attributed to the Iron Armor Army, including this defense, where only four to five thousand of them prevented my thirty thousand elites from stepping into the Chu camp."

"So this time, I must personally intervene. If left unchecked, Ye Shikai will eventually become a significant threat to the empire."

"I understand, General. I will lead the troops to attack immediately. If I fail to capture Ye Shikai, I will return with my head in hand."

.................................

"Reporting to the General, the Qin Army is advancing at full speed, and the vanguard’s five thousand cavalry are only less than fifteen li away from our rearguard."

"The Qin Army truly moves fast," Man Cang commented from his hiding spot in the grass, while the remaining Iron Armor troops lay ambushed on both sides, bows drawn and arrows aimed at the mountain road. Everyone held their breath as the sound of horse hooves gradually emanated through the air...

Jia, jia, yu...

"The Qin Army is here, release the arrows!"

Swish, swish, swish.

"Trip wires!"

The Iron Armor Army loosed a volley of arrows, turning the front ranks of Qin cavalry into a "sieve." In the pitch black, with only faint moonlight illuminating the scene, Man Cang had long since laid this ambush. The ground was covered in trip wires, awaiting the Qin’s arrival to catch them off guard. The cavalry couldn’t discern the traps on the ground in the darkness; many hit the trip wires, going down with their horses. Below, pits covered in straw would break under weight, leading to spikes inside...

"Follow me, take them down!" Man Cang shouted, and over a thousand men charged from the sides, wielding long spears and swords, slashing at the fallen Qin soldiers. Shieldsmen formed an array, turning the already treacherous and narrow upward road into an "iron wall" after the ambush, catching the Qin forces unprepared.

"Comrades, do not panic!" Guo Ling promptly directed the Qin troops on the spot. These were elite soldiers under Wang Li, personal guards of the Wang Family, well-trained. Though momentarily rattled, they quickly composed themselves, turned their horses around, and pulled away from the Iron Armor Army.

"Switch to armor-piercing arrows and shoot the Chu soldiers!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

....................................

"Old Ye, the pursuing Qin Army is advancing rapidly; they’ve engaged the Iron Armor troops already."

"What’s the status of the battle?" Ye Shikai asked while leading the vanguard camp and cavalry forces at the front. Although he wasn’t on site, he could hear the shouts and cries of both armies in the fight.

"Not entirely clear yet, but the Qin forces are numerous and all elite. Iron Armor and the rearguard might not hold for long," Shangguan Jian continued, "Old Ye, how about I take the guards to support them, and you quickly advance with the remainder to rendezvous with General Huo? Once past the mountain pass, our troops will be safe."

"That works. But you must be extremely cautious. Support Man Cang and withdraw swiftly," Ye Shikai advised, as Wang Li’s advance exceeded his expectations, and he anticipated Wang Li would deploy elites to annihilate them, causing great concern. Though the uphill terrain was easier to attack and harder to defend, it could only delay the Qin’s assault; against repeated charges, the Iron Armor and rearguard were no match for the Qin troops.