Chapter 2644

"General, General!"

"We knew it!"

"We knew it, the General wouldn't abandon us!"

I don't know who started it, but all I heard was a rustling sound, the noise of knees hitting the ground, as troops spontaneously knelt down in droves. Men who wouldn't flinch even with blades at their throats now had red eyes, many lowering their heads, secretly reaching up to wipe their eyes.

They had finally waited for this day.

He Lingchuan's heart also surged, unable to contain himself.

He had commanded troops for twenty years in reality, what grand scene had he not seen?

The Dragon God Army even revered him as a deity. But in terms of flesh-and-blood camaraderie, the armies of the Panlong World moved him most deeply.

Perhaps it was because this was where he often reflected on his conscience, where his defiance of fate began, where nearly every pivotal transformation of his occurred, almost always here, achieved together with the soldiers and civilians of Panlongcheng.

Every day in the real world, he missed Panlong, missed these comrades-in-arms who shared life and death before him.

Every day in the real world, he longed to return.

He Lingchuan swallowed the tightness in his chest, steadied his breath, then laughed loudly:

"Why are you kneeling? Get up! You are my soldiers, stop being so fussy!"

The soldiers' emotions surged again; hearing the order, they sprang up with a shout, their bodies reacting faster than their minds.

Their obedience to the Tiger Wing General's commands remained deeply ingrained in their bones.

He Lingchuan gathered his qi and shouted: "Tell me, what are we to do now?"

What are we to do? The crowd froze for a moment; although the army was on a forced march, the objective was still secret, only knowing they were heading for the outskirts.

Some quick-witted ones immediately replied: "To war!"

"To battle and slay the enemy!"

He Lingchuan asked again: "Who is the enemy?"

"Between Between Between Beijia! Between Between Between Beijia!" The voices from below grew louder and louder.

"Good, we will expel Between Between Between Beijia!" He Lingchuan's voice echoed in everyone's ears, "Why do we fight bloodily? For whom do we fight bloodily?"

"Defend home and country!"

"Fight for our homeland!"

"Fight for Panlong!"

"Good!" He Lingchuan boomed, "Now tell me again, what are we to do?"

"Expel Between Between Between Beijia! Defend home and country! Fight for Panlong!"

He Lingchuan laughed sharply: "Haven't you eaten? Speak louder!"

The crowd's fervor rose: "Expel Between Between Between Beijia! Defend home and country! Fight for Panlong!"

"Exactly!" He Lingchuan stood tall and proud, "I have returned, I command you: once again become the blade in my hand, the spear in my grasp, let the enemy hear the wind and lose courage, let the Between Between Between Beijia people pay blood debt with blood!"

Recalling the suffocation and pain of over a year, the Tiger Wing Army's shouts rolled like waves across the wilderness: "Blood debt with blood! Expel Between Between Between Beijia! Defend home and country! Fight for Panlong!"

Again and again, the echoes did not cease.

Suddenly, a thunderclap split the horizon, a booming roar.

This was heaven and man in resonance.

He Lingchuan felt the surging elemental power in his body, lifted his head, and drew a deep breath:

"Tonight's departure feast: meat, no wine, eat heartily!"

The Tiger Wing Army let out a mighty cheer.

The General has returned, they will once again be an invincible force!

After He Lingchuan finished his proclamation, he flicked his cloak, turned, and entered the tent.

To boost morale, no lengthy speeches were needed.

His return was the best motivation.

……

With a single order from the Tiger Wing General, logistics nearly went into chaos.

While they prepared the feast, He Lingchuan summoned all the department commanders into the main tent to discuss battle plans.

With the Tiger Wing Army's speed, they would soon cross the southern border of the wasteland and formally launch the Southern Interception Campaign.

"Fifteen minutes ago, the latest battle report came from the south." Everyone gathered around the sand table, listening to the general's words, "Xu Zhifu's army had just engaged the Between Between Between Beijia forces at Wangxipu, and after retreating five li, they reached Fulugou."

Hu Min added from the side: "The Between Between Between Beijia army numbers nearly four thousand, led by Hu Yechian, grand general of the Fan Yao State and Ye Gan State. Hu Yechian is human, famous for winning two major battles in the Shahe River basin seven years ago; his combat style is steady, and it is said his temperament is also very stable, rarely irritable or fierce."

Commanding officers with good tempers are rare, even within the Panlong Army.

"Panlongcheng assesses that Fulugou will become a contested site for the Between Between Between Beijia, for there are few passes south of the wasteland, and Fulugou is a rare one. Xu Zhifu's mission is to hold Fulugou, to exhaust the Between Between Between Beijia army as much as possible. But Hu Yechian is unlikely to act alone—on the Panlong Wasteland, a Between Between Between Beijia force of this size daring to attack alone would be courting death!"

Commander Zhuang Yinnan also said: "According to reports from the front, Hu Yechian's army, to gain speed, brought little baggage."

The old saying goes: troops move, but supplies must go first.

But that refers to conventional military operations. Like Hu Yechian, who landed and immediately marched rapidly, clearly seeking a time advantage—that is, prioritizing speed.

If logistics move too slowly, to travel light for battle, the army brings only a few days' dry rations and water.

"Hu Yechian acts steadily; this time he dares to abandon baggage and advance lightly, which shows he is confident reinforcements will arrive soon." He Lingchuan's finger moved to the Bai Sha Bay position on the sand table, "At least tens of thousands of Between Between Between Beijia troops are gathering here, and the Grand General of Lingxu City, Fu Shanlie, is also coming this way. We have just received news from the Between Between Between Beijia side: the Demon Emperor has formally appointed Fu Shanlie as Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Expedition!"

"Southern Expedition!" He chuckled coldly twice, "Isn't that just the southern part of the wasteland?"

"Many of you once followed me in governing Yuheng City, and you know Fu Shanlie is a tough opponent. This man has patience and ideas, very cunning. Moreover, having finally returned to the Panlong battlefield, he surely wants to make a big show." He Lingchuan continued, "So Hu Yechian is very likely merely a vanguard force sent by Fu Shanlie, to seize a foothold in the southern wasteland, preparing the way for the Between Between Between Beijia main army's large-scale campaign."

As a similar example, years ago Panlongcheng launched a surprise attack on Xiji State, also striking Longkou Pass without warning in the night. At that time, He Lingchuan's small unit was in the vanguard, they seized Longkou Pass first, directly welcoming the Dafeng Army into the pass, causing Xiji State to lose its most important natural barrier against Panlongcheng.

The Red General's feat of destroying the Xiji vanguard in half a month was indispensable.

Now Hu Yechian's rapid assault on Fulugou is also to pave the way for Fu Shanlie's main army behind him.

"Fulugou is a good place, easy to attack and defend, as a base for attacking the southern Panlong Wasteland, it could not be better."

That is to say, even if they defeated Huo Yechán, there would still be more enemies ahead. Even though the generals had anticipated this beforehand, hearing it still left them with heavy hearts.

"Bèijiā has been stalled by the Dragon Throat Pass for several months, unable to advance an inch, forcing us to open a second front," He Lingchuan warned all the commanders. "Whether it's Bèijiā or Fushan Lie himself, both are determined to seize the southern wilderness, and we cannot afford to harbor侥幸."

(End of Chapter)