Chapter 2000: Each Calculating for Themselves

But in fact he had already left each unit ample rest time. The Bixia territory was only that small a remnant left; for him to fight it, a day and a half at most would be enough to finish the run. The remaining time they could just rest well and prepare for the final decisive battle.

The allied army's generals all felt their hearts pounding when they heard this.

They had fought their way here swift as wind and lightning, one could say they caught the enemy completely off guard, seizing the advantage of the initiative. But Bixia weren't dead men; the next targets had surely made preparations.

After General Chongwu's return, the Bixia people had a backbone again, and fighting them became hard once more.

Anyway, Bixia's territory wasn't large; why did the Nine Nether Great Emperor still need to divide the troops? A few more days of fighting and it would be done — steady, safe, no risk of defeat.

The Nine Nether Great Emperor seemed to see through their thoughts, and said indifferently: "Look at the banners above your heads! You are the Dragon God Army now, what is there to fear!"

No one dared voice dissent, so they divided the troops and went.

Naturally He Lingchuan had planned the routes; the toughest nuts he kept for himself to crack, and the other two units also made some adjustments, each assigning a portion of Black Armor troops as overseers.

Boss Situ He still couldn't figure out the reason for Shuangsheng Fort's great victory, and privately asked He Lingchuan quietly.

He Lingchuan countered: "Which dish do you love most in the manor?"

Boss Situ He thought a moment: "Spicy Stir-fried Eel Shreds. The chef is the same age as my father; I grew up eating his cooking from childhood."

"If you and the chef both make Spicy Stir-fried Eel Shreds, even with identical ingredients and steps, would the taste come out the same?"

"Of course not." Boss Situ He shook his head first, then nodded, "Oh, I understand."

Stripping away surface factors, the grasp of timing, the control of heat, the attention to detail — those are the keys to victory or defeat.

Not every commander is called the Nine Nether Great Emperor.

But, "Now that the troops are divided three ways, aren't you worried they won't accomplish their missions?"

Boss Situ He knew the allied army's caliber better than anyone; he himself had led them with heartbreak and exhaustion, mind and strength drained. The Nine Nether Great Emperor still sent them out to fight — wasn't he afraid they'd dawdle for three days and achieve nothing?

With the Nine Nether Great Emperor personally commanding it was fine — morale was united, even Mount Tai could be moved; but if it was still left to the allied army to attack on their own, then...

He Lingchuan didn't say more, just smiled: "No matter, we'll wait and see."

Who doesn't like absolute certainty?

But what He Lingchuan wants now isn't absolute certainty.

Bixia capital, Anrong City.

This capital was formerly another small country's capital; after Bixia destroyed it, they inherited its capital and wealth, and thus developed better than the other tribes.

The Bixia chieftain had received too much bad news these days, couldn't eat or sleep in peace, and his temper was exceptionally violent. Yesterday a maid accidentally broke a bottle in front of him, and he beat her to death on the spot.

This afternoon, he had only barely managed to eat half a bowl of rice, when another latest battle report arrived from the south.

One look, and he casually smashed the rice bowl.

Clang! General Chongwu happened to walk in, and the rice bowl smashed at his feet.

"Guogang has fallen too!" the Bixia chieftain said in a coarse voice, "I heard the Dragon God Army is still in training; that surnamed He leads the allied army, how could they attack this fast?"

The Pearl King's death and the allied army's absorption by the Nine Nether Great Emperor happened a few days prior; Bixia had just received the news and knew things were bad, and had already appealed to Yao Country for aid. Who would have thought the Nine Nether Great Emperor, after taking the allied army, wouldn't rest for a moment and marched straight for Bixia!

The news the Bixia people received, every day was which place had been captured, which place had seen allied troops or Black Armor troops appear.

Now the capital was in panic, and already some clansmen had secretly fled.

"Father hit the key point." General Chongwu looked at the bloodshot veins at the corners of his father's eyes, feeling he had aged not just ten years, "He Xiao's main force is all in training; the troops he brought into Bixia look numerous and powerful, but in reality most are allied army, true combat strength is poor."

Bixia had fought the allied army this long; they knew the opponent's strength best of all.

"This pep-talk routine, use it on your subordinates, not on your old man!" The Bixia chieftain paced a few steps, face full of anxiety, "He'll be here any moment; what do we do? If this question gets asked outside, those cowards will start advocating flight again!"

"I'm telling you the truth." General Chongwu analyzed, "The elites He Xiao keeps by his side are limited. I just got intelligence that the Pearl King died in battle; he took a great opportunity, infiltrated while the allied army leaders were in a meeting, and divided and crushed them. If his forces were sufficient, why wouldn't he just crush them directly?"

"Going by that, we can close the city and hold out, wait for reinforcements?" The Bixia chieftain glanced at him, "Didn't you already appeal to Bai Tan for aid? And you've always been valued by the Qingyang State Preceptor — oh, the Qingyang Protector."

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"Closing the city and defending passively is a dead end." General Chongwu's expression was resolute, "Passive defense makes it easy to guard ourselves into an isolated city. He Xiao's speed of occupying our territory is too fast; if we don't strike out soon, we'll be completely surrounded, and then they won't have just tens of thousands of troops. Don't forget the Dragon God's great army is still in training; when they swarm out, will we have any way to survive?"

The Bixia clan chief's jaw muscles tightened.

"Also, the grain and supplies in Anrong City aren't enough anymore."

The allied army and Bixia fought for two years; as the attacking side the allied army itself was exhausted — how could the defending Bixia be any better off?

The city's grain was already insufficient to eat; people were starving to death; with what could they hold out?

"And, Bai Tan is a petty man, may not come to the rescue." Originally the agreement among the several houses was: once the Pearl King used Boss Situ He and the allied army to tie down He Lingchuan, all houses would strike together!

The Bixia chieftain was startled: "But the Qingyang Protector..."

"The Qingyang Protector holds the rear, commands and dispatches, her focus is the entire Shanjin Plain; she may not have the leisure to mind us." General Chongwu sighed, "Besides I know her; if Bixia cannot demonstrate due value, she will abandon us too."

"You already have a plan? What do you intend to do?"

General Chongwu said seriously: "We must seize the initiative and meet them in battle."

The Bixia chieftain was startled: "Meet them in battle?"

"He Xiao's advance speed is indeed fast, but the sudden division of troops at Guogang suggests the force attacking Anrong City is no more than six thousand; more would be useless anyway." General Chongwu traced two light lines on the sand table, "Our only chance to beat him: capture the ringleader to capture the band."

The Bixia chieftain sucked in a cold breath: "We can kill He Xiao?"

"He Xiao likes to lead from the front, charges at the forefront in every battle." General Chongwu pondered, "We find a way to separate him from his main force, and the trump card the Palace Lord bestowed on me can be put to use!"

"Can it really deal with him?" The Bixia chieftain worried, "I've heard some forces requested Divine Descent Bodies from Yao Country, but they couldn't truly summon a heavenly god to aid in battle! At the critical moment, alas, they died very miserably!"

"Not necessarily the Divine Body's fault; the heavenly gods also watch the battlefield. If they think they can't win or it's unnecessary, even if the mortal world pleads, they won't descend."