Chapter 397: Auspicious Time Pass Ambush, the Tongtian Society Skilled at Imitation

Wang Xiong: "Enemy advances, we retreat?"

Dou Luling: "Enemy camps, we harass?"

Helian Shi: "Enemy weary, we strike?"

He Ba Le: "Enemy retreats, we pursue?"

They held their breath and focused, murmuring repeatedly; the earlier doubts in their brows vanished instantly, those concise admonitions deafened them, feeling like a sudden enlightenment.

Then the four exchanged glances, each seeing enlightenment and resolve in the other's eyes, all bowed, clasped fists, and in a deep voice said: "We will strictly follow the Grand General's teachings!"

Chen Yan placed both hands on the edge of the map, his knuckles whitening from the pressure; his youthful face showed no hint of complacency or underestimation, only extra solemnity.

His gaze burned like torches, scanning the four faces in turn; his voice deeper than before: "Can we mobilize the Tuyu Hun cavalry? It concerns the Hezhou battle situation; it is of great importance......"

He paused, then his tone suddenly added a resonant edge: "On the day of your triumphant return, I will record your achievements!"

Temporarily withdrawing the Tuyu Hun cavalry from the battlefield, not participating in the group fight, is the key to deciding this victory.

Wang Xiong's eyes suddenly brightened, his prior composure replaced by a scorching vigor, his gaze filled with a resolve to burn the boats; he stepped forward hard, slammed one knee onto the ground, arm straight with fist clasped: "Subordinate General Wang Xiong is willing to establish a Military Order Document!"

"If it fails, I will bring my head back to see the Grand General!"

His words were solemn, shaking the candle flames inside the tent to flicker slightly.

With such a great opportunity, how could Wang Xiong miss this great merit and betray the Grand General's trust?

He has already made up his mind.....

If not successful, then die honorably!

Dou Luling's eyes also instantly ignited with blazing fire; there was no hesitation, and he stepped forward in large strides, with a "thud" he knelt on one knee, standing side by side with Wang Xiong, both hands clasped in a fist raised overhead, his face full of unquestionable solemnity: "Subordinate General Dou Luling is also willing to establish a Military Order Document!"

"I will certainly work together with Brother Wang, united in heart, with collective resolve like a fortress, to overcome the strong enemy!"

Dou Luling, also a master of military strategy, deeply understands the heavy burden on his shoulders.....

Opportunity coexists with risk.

It must be seized!

"Very well."

Chen Yan, knowing not to doubt capable men, stepped forward two paces, grasped each of their upper arms with both hands, and with a slight force lifted them up; the warmth of his palms passed through their battle robes: "I, this General, trust you!"

When he released his grip, he looked toward outside the tent; sunlight had already streamed through the curtain gaps, and his tone became decisive: "Go, select five hundred Elite Cavalry, and depart immediately!"

"Understood!" Wang Xiong and Dou Luling replied in unison, their voices loud and ringing.

The two again clasped fists, bowed, and performed a salute, then turned with Helian Shi and He Ba Le, striding out of the tent.

Chen Yan turned and walked back to the main seat; as he sat down heavily, the chair legs scraped the floor with a soft sound.

He lifted his hand to support his chin, his fingertips hovering over the map, slowly sliding along Hezhou's border, occasionally tapping lightly twice, his gaze profound: "Next, it should be the Liuren rebel army incited by the Tongtian Society....."

"Their discipline is weak, yet they number thirty to forty thousand, not to be underestimated!"

"At this moment they are also besieging Hezhou's administrative center, Fuhan City....."

"I intend to....."

All the generals in the tent hushed, held their breath, focused, listening intently, occasionally nodding in agreement.

Although the Liuren rebel army consists of a ragtag crowd, their numbers are huge, and the Tongtian Society is intermingled within, directing command, so they cannot be taken lightly....

At that moment, a figure clad in Xuanse Jinshen hurriedly pulled back the curtain without prior notice, and respectfully, in a deep voice said: "Sir, there is a piece of freshly returned intelligence....."

His demeanor was full of urgency.

Chen Yan, seeing this, the previously calm brows slightly furrowed, the tapping of his fingertips on the map abruptly ceased, and his eyes added a few scrutinizing glances: "Hand it over!"

Chen Yan showed no hint of displeasure at being interrupted.

He knows that You Xian is a man of great discretion....

If the intelligence were not extremely important and required immediate reporting, he would never have barged in rashly.

"Yes."

You Xian dared not delay; he immediately bowed forward, both hands holding the intelligence, placed it on the desk, his movements respectful and swift, always maintaining a lowered, ready posture.

Chen Yan reached out, took the intelligence, his fingertips gently unrolled it, slowly spreading the paper.

His gaze swiftly scanned the characters; the initially furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and after reading the final line, the corner of his mouth lifted into an intriguingly playful smile; his fingertips lightly tapped the desk, and in a low voice he repeated: "Interesting!"

"Very interesting!"

"Hahaha!"

As soon as the words fell, he could no longer restrain himself, and he threw his head back, letting out a mocking burst of laughter.

The laugh was bright yet carried a sharp, knowing edge, shaking the tent's candle flames again.

All the generals in the tent were stunned, exchanging puzzled looks.

Yuwen Ze, who had been lowering his eyes and concentrating, pondering how to deal with the Tongtian Society, at this moment saw his own A Xiong laughing so merrily; those eyes, usually calm, instantly lit up, full of uncontainable curiosity.

He leaned forward, elbow on his knee, one hand propping his chin, and couldn't help asking: "A Xiong, what does this intelligence say?"

Chen Yan, hearing this, smiled and handed over the intelligence: "Take a look....."

Yuwen Ze quickly took it with both hands, his gaze eagerly scanning the paper.

The curiosity on his face gradually faded, replaced by full astonishment, and his brows involuntarily knit.

He repeatedly checked several key lines, looked up at his elder brother, his tone bearing a hint of disbelief: "The Tongtian Society wants to learn, the previous Qinzhou pacification's encirclement reinforcement, set an ambush?"

It cannot be said to be extremely similar, only that it is identical.....

Yuwen Ze never imagined that the Tongtian Society, after being beaten with Poison in Qinzhou, would actually adopt his A Xiong's tactics?!

They even wanted a one-to-one replica.....

"Exactly!"

Chen Yan slowly nodded, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, his tone carrying a hint of ambiguous approval: "The idea is quite good....."

Having said that, he reached out and pointed to a spot on the map, his gaze deepening: "The terrain of Auspicious Time Pass is treacherous, and it lies on the essential route for our rescue of Fuhan City!"

"This spot is too treacherous..."

As Chen Yan said, Auspicious Time Pass lies on the crucial route to rescue Fuhuan City, and its terrain is perilous...

Its left side is a sheer mountain cliff, its right side a series of precipices, with only a narrow path in the middle!

A perfect spot for an ambush!

"Auspicious Time Pass?"

Yu Yan sat upright, his fingers unconsciously brushing the wrist guard of his battle attire, brows slightly furrowed, body leaning forward a bit, his gaze fixed on that spot on the map, murmuring low, "We can't go around it..."

That damned Auspicious Time Pass, with no village ahead nor shop behind, yet stuck right at the throat of the marching supply line, is truly a huge dilemma!

"A Xiong, that bone of Auspicious Time Pass is hard to chew..."

Yuwen Ze tightened his fingers around the intelligence, his surprise already replaced by solemnity, leaned over the map to stare at Auspicious Time Pass's location for a while, then turned to his own A Xiong, his tone urgent, "How shall we attack?"

Auspicious Time Pass is not only treacherous, it is the kind of place where one man can hold the pass against ten thousand, an ideal spot for a small force to defeat a larger one...

If we launch a direct assault, even if the five thousand Wei Zhou soldiers are completely spent, we may still not capture it.

Even if we capture it, where will there be strength left to rescue Fuhuan and repel the Tuyu Hun?

Chen Yan heard that, first letting out a low laugh, the laugh laced with a hint of slyness, the corners of his eyes slightly upturned, his normally sharp gaze now tinged with a playful light, he said with a teasing tone, "Then we shall fulfill the Tongtian Society's wish!"

Immediately, he raised his voice sharply and declared loudly, "Bring the paper and brush!"

At that moment, Chen Yan completely overturned his previous plan of luring the snake out and seeking a decisive battle...

They've come to the door themselves; if we don't make good use of it, wouldn't that betray their goodwill?

Hongye lifted the ink slab, rice paper, and Wolf-hair Brush Pen, and hurried forward.

Chen Yan leaned down, twirled the brush handle, dipped it in thick ink, flicked his wrist, and the Wolf-hair Brush Pen raced across the rice paper, ink streaks falling swiftly.

Then he handed the first sheet to You Xian, ordering, "Take the accompanying embroidered-uniform envoy and act according to what is written above!"

Impressive!... You Xian quickly took it with both hands, glanced over it twice, his eyes suddenly brightened, his fingers gripping the paper tightened slightly, "As you command!"

"Shuyi will handle it right away!"

His face was full of unabashed admiration, his posture bending even lower.

Having said that, he carefully folded the deployment with both hands, turned and hurried out of the command tent.

As the tent curtains swayed, one could still see the hurried yet orderly silhouette.

"A Ze, take it!"

Chen Yan picked up the second written sheet, handed it to Yuwen Ze, and laughed, "You will command the Wei Zhou soldiers!"

Brilliant! A Xiong's clever move to turn the plan... Yuwen Ze reached out, his gaze scanning the few lines of deployment, his eyes instantly lit like burning torches, his hand holding the paper trembling slightly, unable to suppress admiration, he immediately clasped his fists and replied, "As you command!"

Earlier, when at a loss, his knotted brows fully relaxed, and his mouth couldn't help but lift at the corners.

What does the Tongtian Society have to do with it? They have to flaunt the Great Sword before Guan Gong Gate...

Chen Yan leaned his body back against the chair back, fingertips crossed on his abdomen, calmly saying, "Alright, everyone, return and rest well to prepare for battle!"

"As you command!"

All the generals in the tent rose together, clasped fists and bowed in a salute, responding in unison.

Then they turned in order, their steps light yet crisp as they exited the command tent.

Auspicious Time Pass.

The night wind was cold, carrying the dampness of the mountain ravine, seeping into the cracks of one's bones.

Shen Zhiyan and Ming Shuo stood side by side atop a massive rock at the cliff's summit.

Below them lay a dark narrow passage, and only a waning moon above, filtered through thin clouds, cast a few dim rays.

Ming Shuo wrapped his robe tighter, his gaze passing the pass toward the distant black road, his brows knotted.

He turned to the silent Shen Zhiyan beside him, his voice pressed down extremely low, laced with unmistakable worry, "Zhiyan, Chen Yan is still not coming..."

"Do you think he'll go through Auspicious Time Pass?"

Shen Zhiyan heard that, turned to Ming Shuo, his eyes under the waning moon's faint light showing undeniable resolve, his tone decisive, "Chen Yan will go!"

"And he will definitely go!"

Ming Shuo's brows still unmoved, his words carrying a hint of doubt, "Are you so sure?"

"Of course!" Shen Zhiyan nodded, his tone a few degrees firmer than before, and smiled.

He paused, then added, "This is also the Master of the Society's judgment..."

Ming Shuo's brows tightened further, his face heavy with unshakable seriousness, looking toward the half‑obscured waning moon on the cliff edge, his voice wrapped with the night wind's chill, "But though Chen Yan is young, he is also a man who knows warfare!"

He raised his hand to rub his brow, his worry growing more evident, "Could he fail to see the peril of Auspicious Time Pass?"