Chapter 116: Plan

He gripped the stone tightly; a strange warm current surged through his whole body, an indescribable oddity.

But after calming down and observing carefully, aside from this eerie red glow, the stone looked like an ordinary meteorite in every way, far from the legendary holy object said to possess mysterious power.

"Altering the human magnetic field? Hawei, are you sure you're not spouting Arabian Nights?"

Jiang Xiaomu's tone carried mockery.

Hawei gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"I... I only heard about it too; I don't know the specifics either."

He stood up and patted Hawei on the shoulder.

"Alright, I'll handle this matter; you'd better pray the Bosi envoy doesn't cause you trouble."

Leaving Hawei's shop, Jiang Xiaomu headed straight back to the camp.

He sat in the tent, repeatedly rubbing the box in his hand, his thoughts myriad.

More importantly, the Bosi army is at the borders; how should we resist their invasion?

Jiang Xiaomu took a deep breath and placed the box on the table.

Soldiers come, we meet them with generals; water comes, we block it with earth—thinking so much is useless.

Right now, the most important thing is to figure out the Bosi people's true intentions, as well as the secret of this "Scarlet Flame Stone."

Aside from being a bit hot to the touch and emitting a strange red glow, this thing doesn't seem particularly special.

"Thump thump thump—"

A knocking sound interrupted Jiang Xiaomu's thoughts.

"Come in."

The tent flap lifted, and a slender figure walked in.

Jiang Xiaomu sprang to his feet, astonished:

"Ye Ying? How did you get here?"

Ye Ying removed her mask, revealing an absolutely beautiful face.

She gave a light laugh, her tone tinged with teasing:

"How so, you're not welcoming me?"

"No, it's just… how do you know I'm here?"

Jiang Xiaomu asked doubtfully.

Ye Ying brushed aside the stray hairs by her ear, speaking nonchalantly:

"The Bosi army is at the borders; I guess you must be stressed out, so I came to take a look."

She paused, then added:

"Of course, I also brought some helpers."

Following Ye Ying's gaze outside the tent, Jiang Xiaomu saw several figures clad in black cloaks and armor, their faces fierce, standing rigidly there, a murderous aura sweeping over him.

"These few are…"

Jiang Xiaomu asked.

"Ghost-faced Army commanders."

Ye Ying's tone carried pride.

"Each of them can take on a hundred foes, brave and skilled in battle; they will surely help you repel the enemy."

Jiang Xiaomu felt a surge of joy inside, but outwardly he feigned composure.

"Do you have a plan to repel the enemy?"

Ye Ying shrugged, wearing a "watching the drama" expression, and said: "None."

Jiang Xiaomu was instantly speechless.

"None? Then why did you bring people? Just to watch the show?"

Ye Ying covered her mouth and laughed lightly.

"Oh come on, don't be so tense."

"Even without a plan to repel the enemy, having more people to discuss things is always good; who knows, we might spark something."

Jiang Xiaomu sighed helplessly, sat back down at the table, and pointed at the Bosi troop deployment on the map, saying:

"Look, the Bosi army is strong in soldiers and horses, coming with great might; our meager forces are nowhere near enough."

Ye Ying walked over to the map and examined it carefully.

Then she pointed at a location on the map and said:

"This place, Eagle Beak Pass, the terrain is perilous, easy to defend, hard to attack."

"We can set an ambush here and catch them off guard."

Jiang Xiaomu shook his head and said:

"No, although Eagle Beak Pass is easy to defend and hard to attack, the terrain is narrow."

"Once surrounded by the Bosi army, we would have no escape."

Ye Ying then pointed at another position and said:

"How about here? Black Wind Valley, the terrain is open, suitable for cavalry warfare."

Jiang Xiaomu still shook his head and said:

"No, Black Wind Valley is too far from our camp."

"If the Bosi army bypasses Black Wind Valley and attacks our camp directly, we would be attacked from both front and rear."

The two studied the map for half a day but still couldn't devise a suitable plan.

"Alas, this won't work, that won't work—are we really just going to sit and wait for death?"

Jiang Xiaomu irritably scratched his head.

Ye Ying said reassuringly:

"Don't worry, there will always be a way."

The Bosi army is strong in numbers and comes with great force, while Wangjiang Cheng has only a few thousand troops; a head‑on clash would surely fail.

He must devise a foolproof plan in order to protect this city.

Jiang Xiaomu studied the map for half a day, but still couldn't think of a good plan.

He irritably scratched his head, feeling as if his head were about to explode.

"Where is Xiong Kuohai? Let him in!"

Jiang Xiaomu shouted toward the outside of the tent.

Moments later, Xiong Kuohai entered with several officers.

"General, what are your orders?"

"Come over and take a look—this Bosi army comes with great force; do you have any strategies to repel them?"

Jiang Xiaomu pointed at the map and asked.

Several officers gathered around the map, discussing among themselves.

"Sir, we can rely on the city, hold our ground without sallying out, and wait for reinforcements."

One officer proposed.

Jiang Xiaomu shook his head.

"The Bosi army far outnumbers us; if we launch a strong attack, we probably won't hold out long."

"Sir, we can take the initiative and strike them unawares!"

Another officer proposed.

Jiang Xiaomu shook his head again.

"The Bosi army is well trained; if we rashly go on the offensive, we will only bring about our own destruction."

"Sir, we can…"

Several officers put forward one plan after another, all of which Jiang Xiaomu rejected in turn.

The atmosphere in the tent grew increasingly gloomy, and everyone wore worried frowns.

Ye Ying watched coldly from the side, saying nothing, and with interest observed Jiang Xiaomu's harried, flustered state.

"I say, Jiang Xiaomu."

Ye Ying finally spoke, her tone tinged with teasing.

"Going around in circles like this, what sort of trick do you expect to come up with?"

"The Bosi aren't fools; they're waiting for you to walk into their trap."

Jiang Xiaomu stopped in his tracks and glared at her.

"If you have any good ideas, speak up quickly; don't just stand there making sarcastic remarks!"

Ye Ying gave a light laugh.

"Before the troops move, the provisions must go first."

"The Bosi army has come a long way, so their logistics are of utmost importance; if we can cut off their supply lines……"

Jiang Xiaomu's eyes lit up, and he slammed his hand on the table.

"Exactly! Why didn't I think of that? As long as we cut off their provisions, the Bosi army will collapse without attack!"

He immediately turned and shouted toward the outside of the tent.

"Come quickly! Gather all the scouts at once and ascertain the Bosi army's supply route!"

Yet Ye Ying remained calm and unhurried, speaking slowly:

"There's no need for all that trouble; I've already sent people to investigate, we just await the news."

Jiang Xiaomu froze for a moment, then somewhat embarrassedly touched his nose.

"Ahem, you had it arranged already? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Ye Ying raised her eyebrows and flashed a sly smile.