Chapter 392: with translation of chapter title

The reinforcements of the Li and Xue families arrived, appearing in a grand and mighty manner on the opposite mountain.

Translation text

After all lines, output ===TITLE=== line with translation of chapter title "shouting at each other across the valley". Then

Chen Wuji and Xu Zengyi each held a big, sturdy chicken leg, standing on the cliff edge watching the play in a light wind and calm clouds, like two idle onlookers out sightseeing.

"I suddenly miss Lord Qin's wine gourd." Xu Zengyi suddenly said.

Chen Wuji glanced askance, "There's no shortage of your drink in the Lìng; if you want a drink, send someone to fetch it."

"Not the same." Xu Zengyi laughed and shook his head, "Lord Qin's wine gourd is more fitting at this time."

This remark left Chen Wuji a bit dazed, "Does fighting over it make it more tasty?"

"Commandant roasts chicken, Magistrate offers wine, idly watching petty clowns chirp and dogs bark—how heroic, Commandant!" Xu Zengyi raised the chicken bone in his hand and shouted.

Chen Wuji: ……

Damn it, you bastard, luckily you met me.

If you were a narrow-minded person, I'd have snapped you on the spot.

He still thought this kid would say something sensible and useful, but it turned out he was just showing off.

"Something's not right. Men, relay orders to the Sheep Commandant and Xiao Ershu—prepare to march!" Chen Wuji stared at the opposite hill, issuing the order in a low voice.

The Li Family's reinforcements had just entered the Lìng when the opposite side suddenly erupted into battle.

This differs from the original plan.

When Chen Wuji and Li Run devised the tactics, they had decided to act covertly at night.

Qian Fugui, Wu Bu Yong, and the enemy were stationed in the same Lìng area; at night, while the enemy slept, they could sneak in, hack wildly, set a few fires, inflict heavy casualties on the enemy, break their morale in one battle, and still reduce their own losses.

Xu Zengyi was no longer carefree, "Commandant, the situation is unclear; I can't worry about that much—send the Personal Guard Lìng forward!"

Chen Wuji nodded, "Shi Yi Shu, go ahead."

"Yes!"

Chen Li took the order and left.

After Li Run surrendered, Yang Tiejiang almost couldn't wait to cast off his old subordinates and go lead Li Run's troops.

Chen Wuji couldn't overcome the stubborn Yang Tiejiang, so he had to assign Chen Li to take over.

The Personal Guard Lìng is now truly a Personal Guard Lìng, and the strongest in the whole army.

"Why aren't we fighting again?" Xu Zengyi muttered doubtfully.

In the enemy's Lìng pan on the opposite hill, the chaos lasted only a moment before settling down again.

"It's impossible that our troops have already been subdued; Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong would never surrender so easily." Chen Wuji said firmly.

Xu Zengyi raised his doubt, "But the enemy shouldn't be that easily subdued, right? Could it be they're trying to capture the bandits first, then the king?"

"If Li Run changed his tactics, he would surely send someone to report to me." Chen Wuji said.

Xu Zengyi thought, "That would mean the enemy wanted to capture the bandits first, then the king, but was subdued by our forces… or… Qian Fugui and the two others were all subdued by the enemy."

"Whether it's the former or the latter, we should hear something soon—wait a moment!" Chen Wuji said, "Wushuang, hurry and relay the order: tell Shi Yi Shu to slow the march, await my command!"

"Yes!" Chen Wushuang clasped his fists and accepted the order.

Not long after, about a quarter of an hour later, a troop of Bīngmǎ emerged from the enemy's Lìng pan; they cut down most of the flags planted outside, and then a banner with black background and red characters suddenly swayed a few times.

"Don't attack!" Xu Zengyi said.

Chen Wuji also noticed, "The enemy shouldn't figure out our plan that quickly, understand the flag signals, and temporarily hold their forces."

"I agree!"

After the Li Family and Xue Family's Bīngmǎ occupied the opposite Lìng pan, communication between the sides was inevitably hindered.

Therefore, the method of communication that Chen Wuji and Li Run discussed was daytime flag signals and nighttime bonfires.

Flag signals have fixed meanings, while the number of bonfires determines whether to attack.

"It looks like all the cut-down flags belong to the Li Family, sir—can you see them clearly?" Chen Wuji was somewhat unsure; his vision in this life was extraordinarily good, allowing him to spot game on the opposite hill from this hill.

But reading the characters on the flags is difficult—they're small to begin with, and the wind keeps flipping them, making it impossible to see them whole.

Xu Zengyi smiled wryly, "Commandant, you're a hunter who can see game several li away; I'm just a coffin maker—how could I possibly see that clearly from this distance? I can barely make out that there's writing on it."

"I can't see it clearly either, but for now let's assume it's the Li Family's flag; the one on the right must be the Xue Family's. They cut down the Li Family's flag, while the Xue Family's flag on the other side remained unmoved." Chen Wuji said.

Our earlier guess might be correct: the Li Family's envoy tried to capture the bandits first, then the king, but failed; Li Run ought to have taken command of the Li Family's reinforcements, and the Xue Family had no objection, so they chose to continue cooperating with Li Run.

Xu Zengyi nodded, "I agree."

"If the Li Family's people had control of Li Run and a few others, why bother cutting those flags? Those flags were originally theirs, symbolizing their identity. The purpose of cutting them must be to send us a message, thereby throwing us off the scent."

Chen Wuji's expression relaxed, "Now we can relax and keep watching the show."

"The enemy forces have already lost half their strength; the upcoming battle will be easier to fight."

Just as his words fell, a Bīngmǎ suddenly surged out of the opposite Lìng camp.

Damn it, what's he doing again? Chen Wujie's mood was deteriorating.

That change happened way too fast, like an impatient, clumsy man.

No hugging, no kissing, not even fully undressed—just rushing straight to the heart of it.

The enemy troops surged to the canyon's edge, beating war drums with a steady boom, then all together they raised their voices and shouted.

That Bīngmǎ surged to the edge of the Xia Gu, beating the war drums with a dong-dong-dong, and immediately afterwards shouted in unison.

"You Chen-surnamed turtle bastard, our general has ordered: surrender and you will not be killed!"

Chen Wujie, you're worse than a pig or dog!

You're nothing but a cowardly scumbag, a despicable wretch!

"You're nothing but a cowardly scum, a lowly bastard!"

Chen Wujie scowled, then burst out laughing in anger, 'I thought they were up to something again, but it's just to provoke me into attacking first.'

Chen Wuji blackened with fury, utterly laughing in anger, "I thought they were pulling some other trick, but it turns out they're just trying to provoke me into taking the initiative to attack."

"Is the commandant angry?" Xu Zengyi asked.

"I'm angry, how could I not be? They actually cursed me as worse than pigs and dogs, a lowly bastard!" Chen Wuji shouted angrily, "They act like they're the only ones who can curse people—are we lacking people?"

"Wushuang, go deliver the order, form ranks here, and curse them back for me!"

"Yes!"

Chen Wushuang, who had just returned after delivering the order, again clasped his fists in acceptance and walked off huffing and puffing.

Not long after, Yang Tiejiang and Xiao Ershu led their troops, vast and mighty, out of the Lìngpan, forming ranks at the edge of the Xia Gu.

"Commandant, what are you cursing?" Yang Tiejiang walked over, holding a heavy strange sword.

"Pick the dirtiest things to curse them back with, greet their ancestors eighteen generations back—for example, say the Xue Family are descended from entertainers, and use whatever viciousness you like." Chen Wuji said.

Xiao Ershu, who had just arrived, his eyes flickered, and he suddenly smiled, saying, "Actually, I know some true stories."