Chapter 284: Tactics

Xu Zengyi laughed like a monk at the foot of Ling Mountain who, upon meeting people, would say you and I have karmic affinity with the Buddha, said slowly: "This matter isn't that urgent; Brigade Commander Chen can slowly get in touch with this big tiger, often bringing human-world delicacies into the mountains to find it, bask in the sun together, roll around on the grass, go hunting together, and so on."

"Given time, the big tiger may perhaps wonder why Brigade Commander Chen runs so slowly, and thus let Brigade Commander Chen ride it to roam in all directions."

Chen Wuji: ……

Some people's mouths really are just born for speaking.

"I'll give it a try." Chen Wuji, after hesitating for a while, agreed.

Xu Zengyi's suggestion, frankly speaking, is actually not bad.

It really does seem worth a try.

This big tiger is already willing to treat him as a playmate; after getting along more, it might really be possible to fool it into becoming a mount.

However, this matter must absolutely not be rushed; we need to proceed step by step, take it slow.

As the saying goes, you can't touch a tiger's butt; if it turns out you can't ride it either, you need to slowly Shìhòu and see its reaction.

The risk of this matter is too high; one misstep could turn you into the tiger's meal.

"Let's go, let's first see what nice stuff the big tiger has brought us again." Chen Wuji said, waving his horizontal knife as he entered the dense forest, leading the way for everyone.

They hadn't gone a hundred steps when they found something that had rolled down in the mountain hollow.

One bear and one deer.

"This tiger's attack power is strong—it can even hunt down a bear, and with a single blow!" Xu Zengyi exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Wuji was no exception, feeling somewhat surprised.

This was the big tiger's first time bringing a bear.

Probably because it knows Chen Wuji likes them; previously it mostly brought deer and muntjac.

As for which is stronger, bear or tiger, even the most experienced hunter probably couldn't say for sure.

Both are undoubtedly the overlords of the mountains and forests.

The bear has the advantage of strength, but its speed is relatively slow.

The tiger is relatively well-rounded, balancing speed and strength, but it's not easy for it to hunt down a bear.

Killing with a single blow is even rarer.

It looks like the big tiger's fighting skills have improved over this period.

"Thanks, Tiger Brother; another day I'll bring some human-world delicacies to see you!" Chen Wuji shouted loudly.

As a human who should understand human relations, it's natural to say thanks after receiving something.

He had been worrying about how to repay the big tiger for human relations, and Xu Zengyi's suggestion just now was indeed good.

We can bring up more human-world delicacies to try them one by one; whatever the tiger likes, we can then bring more of that in the future.

Roar… roar roar roar…

From the mountaintop came the tiger's low growl.

Xu Zengyi couldn't help but laugh, saying, "I don't mean to mock, but honestly, this Tiger Brother's growl is somewhat… unexpected, refreshing, and quite unique."

"Family Head, I get the feeling it's almost speaking," Chen Bang said softly.

"Ah, your feeling might actually be right—just like with cats, they make different sounds at different times; although we can't understand them either, after keeping them for a long time we can guess about seventy or eighty percent." Xu Zengyi said.

"Once Brigade Commander Chen gets more familiar with Tiger Brother, even if we don't understand, we can guess some of his meaning from its expressions and reactions."

Chen Wuji watched the tiger rise and slowly disappear into the forest, then said to Chen Bang and the others: "Get some sticks and vines; we'll take these two game animals back—today we're in for a treat again, bear meat and deer meat are both delicious."

"Yes."

Chen Bang and the others scattered, gathering several big bundles of vines from the forest, and also cut down several pine trees as thick as a thigh.

The deer is lighter; two people are enough.

But this bear weighs four or five hundred catties; two people can barely lift it, but they can't carry it over the mountains, so everyone added two crossbeams and had four people lift it.

With limited manpower, Chen Wuji had to personally pitch in.

After a bout of busy work, the only idle person left was Xu Zengyi.

If they had one fewer person, they probably couldn't manage this bear.

When that big tiger delivered these game animals, it was as if it had done precise calculations.

Everyone carried the two large game animals, walking and stopping along the way, and only at noon did they finally reach Elephant Trunk Ridge.

For mountain folk, crossing mountains and ridges is everyday fare; casually climbing a few mountains isn't difficult, but carrying something weighing four or five hundred catties is another matter—by the time they arrived, everyone was exhausted to the point of breathlessness, and Chen Wuji's legs went soft.

The final stretch was after a hidden outpost on the periphery spotted Chen Wuji and his group's traces and called nearby people to come help carry them up.

Chen Wuji didn't rush up the mountain; instead, after resting a while and catching his breath, he took Xu Zengyi to the other side of Elephant Trunk Ridge and said, "Mr. Xu, I intend to use this place as an ambush site—would that work?"

"This place is indeed a hazardous spot, but I'd like to ask Brigade Commander Chen: if you saw such a dangerous place and the road happened to be blocked, what would you think?" Xu Zengyi asked.

A flash of inspiration instantly pierced Chen Wuji's mind: "An ambush!"

"If one is skilled in warfare, they would certainly think that way." Xu Zengyi nodded.

"Those who don't understand might think blocking the road is to slow their march, that the enemy is scared, etc. But the battlefield is perilous; we should regard any opponent as smart and wise, skilled in warfare and fond of strategy."

Chen Wuji: ……

Actually……

He doesn't need to be praised like that.

He had this idea right away, purely out of caution.

But whether he's truly skilled in warfare is uncertain.

Xu Zengyi grasped it instantly, but before Xu Zengyi reminded him, he hadn't thought of this point.

"How many archers does Brigade Commander Chen have under his command?" Xu Zengyi asked.

"Less than a hundred, and not proficient."

Xu Zengyi nodded, "Then we'll need to make use of the terrain; let's move forward a bit."

As they walked forward, Xu Zengyi explained: "This mountain path follows the valley, with steep cliffs on both sides; our army holds the absolute terrain advantage. By setting an ambush where water is easily accessible, we attack with arrows and rolling stones, raise banners on both sides, shout and charge, and can shatter the enemy's morale in one strike."

Block the front, chase the rear, cut off their retreat; wait for the enemy's morale to collapse, then with elite troops pursue the fleeing enemy relentlessly, and perhaps settle the victory in one battle.

Chen Wuji's eyes showed deep thought, and his gaze instantly brightened.

Not everyone in the world can be a mastermind; you can tell whether someone has real talent just by a few words.

Chen Wuji had thought of an ambush, and his chosen location was good, but his tactics lacked system; he hadn't filled in the minor details to form a closed loop. Upon Xu Zengyi's explanation, his mind instantly grasped the full sand-table layout.

"Mr. Xu, is setting an ambush where water is easily accessible meant to wait for the enemy to camp?" Chen Wuji asked politely.

Xu Zengyi nodded: "The Qiang People follow water and grass for their livelihood; when a large army moves out, they must bring many cattle and sheep. They value water sources even more than we do when they camp."