Chapter 130: Mountain Rain Imminent

The decisions made in the central command tent, like ripples on a lake surface, quickly spread throughout the entire Zhou army camp.

Over the next two days, the Zhou army's main camp and its surrounding areas.

Presenting a bustling scene utterly different from before.

No longer merely fortifying the camp and drilling formations.

Replaced by a more targeted, meticulous and efficient deployment.

Following Chen Wen's suggestion, the elite troops drawn from each army began to be organized in units of a du (hundred men).

Conducting emergency adaptive drills.

The key focus of the drills was squads' maneuvering, ambushes, and counterattacks between mountains and ravines.

And how to coordinate with the preset fortifications.

The auxiliary troops under Zhang Yongde and Han Tong.

And the large numbers of conscripted laborers, under the guidance of experienced combat engineers dispatched by the Jing'an Army.

At the key nodes of each supply route and near water sources, they eagerly dug horse-trap pits.

Setting up concealed tripod ropes for horses, and cleverly placing the newly improved, easier-to-carry-and-assemble anti-horse obstacles and iron caltrops.

Skillfully deployed along the routes most likely to be charged by enemy cavalry.

Chen Wen himself was extremely busy.

He not only had to coordinate the Jing'an Army's own operations, but also continue hunting Khitan cavalry in the outskirts.

He also had to shuttle between the armies, coordinating with Zhang Yongde and Han Tong on the progress and standards of fortification construction.

Even being requested by Chai Rong to give a brief lecture before several newly formed rapid-response units.

He briefly explained the essentials of squad tactics and coordination insights.

He held nothing back, sharing some training methods simplified from the "Ability Granting" concept.

Methods to improve squad coordination and explosive power, which he candidly disclosed.

Although these methods were not as heaven-defying as those granted by the system.

Yet they were still the essence, far surpassing the training level of ordinary armies of this era.

His prestige, in light of this substantive contribution, became ever more solid.

Previously, perhaps some still held a grudge against him for his overly rapid promotion.

Now, seeing that he truly possessed talent and learning and was beneficial to the overall situation, that grudge mostly turned into recognition.

Even someone as proud and arrogant as Zhao Kuangyin, after observing a Jing'an Army squad tactics drill once.

Also privately sighed to his attendants:

"Chen Wen Zhong trains troops; he indeed has a unique approach, not mere luck."

However.

This busyness and change could not dispel the oppressive feeling permeating the battlefield air.

On the contrary, as the Zhou army's defensive system grew ever tighter.

The Northern Han-Khitan allied army side also seemed to have lost patience.

Scouts reported that the allied army's main force began to move forward.

The vast army formation, like slowly approaching dark clouds, brought a suffocating pressure.

The frequency of Khitan cavalry activity did not decrease but increased.

Even several hundred-strong squad-scale cluster assaults appeared.

Attempting to probe the weaknesses of the Zhou army's new defensive line, the scale and brutality of the fighting suddenly escalated.

The air was filled with gunpowder smoke, dust, and a tense, almost snapping string-like sound.

Even the wind blowing over the plains carried the lingering clatter of weapons and a faint scent of blood.

Night.

Chen Wen stood on the low wall of a newly constructed Jing'an Army outpost fortification.

Gazing toward the direction of the enemy camp far away, where endless campfires stretched.

They were like the entrance to hell, flickering with an ominous light.

The interface of his "Cow Horse System" inside his body was clearly visible.

His personal ability multiplier Lv. 4 (16x) remained steady as usual.

And the cursor representing the "Growth Progress Bar" had already climbed to 98%!

He could feel his inner power brimming, his spiritual perception growing ever sharper.

He could even faintly sense the chaotic, killing-intent-laden aura undulations coming from the distant enemy camp.

Yet that thin membrane leading to the next stage stubbornly persisted.

It seemed made of the hardest crystal, already thin and transparent.

One could see the light and shadow of a broader world beyond, yet could never break through.

He knew what he lacked was not the accumulation of quantity.

The campaigning, plotting, and dispatching of these days had already pushed accumulation to its peak.

What was lacking was an opportunity.

One sufficient to let his spirit and will.

Even his belief in "order" and "protection" to burn to the extreme, thereby completely melting this membrane's opportunity.

That might be utter despair, or perhaps throwing oneself heedlessly into protecting important people.

Or perhaps shouldering the weighty responsibility of determining the nation's fate amidst the myriad armies… he did not know what exactly that would be.

But he could feel that moment.

The war clouds over the north were growing ever heavier, approaching together.

"Military Envoy, it's late at night, the cold is strong."

Wang Ru came up behind him at some point and lightly draped a thick cloak over his shoulders.

She watched Chen Wen's profile as he gazed into the distance, feeling a different, restrained yet surging aura about him.

Chen Wen didn't turn his head, merely giving a soft "hmm."

"Brothers... everyone is a bit nervous."

Wang Ru said in a low voice.

"The scent of the great battle is growing stronger."

"Tell the brothers, it's normal to be nervous."

Chen Wen's voice was calm, yet it carried a soothing power.

"We are ready. The fortifications we built, the tactics we drilled, are all for this moment."

"We are not passively waiting; we are weaving a net, a net strong enough to trip the evil wolf."

He paused, then continued:

"Also have Qian Gui's men raise their spirits to twelvefold, not only keeping watch on the Khitan and the Northern Han army."

"Moreover, we must pay attention to... the crows hidden in the shadows."

The threat of the Iron Crow Army hung over him like a sword suspended above, which he had never forgotten.

"Yes, Military Envoy."

Wang Ru agreed, hesitating for a moment.

She then asked, "Military Envoy, do you say... we can win?"

Chen Wen finally turned around; under the moonlight, his eyes were clear and firm:

"We have no retreat, so we must win."

"Not only to win this battle, but also for..."

"So that this chaotic world may have a place of peace!"

"Let the people of places like Li Family Hollow and Jiao Tu Zhen be able to farm in peace, without suffering again from the ravages of war."

This is his innermost true desire, unrelated to grand history.

It concerns only the land beneath his feet and the people living upon it; this is also the most fundamental belief that has sustained him all along.

Wang Ru looked into his eyes, and her unease seemed to be dispelled considerably by his resolute words.

She nodded firmly.

Chen Wen turned his gaze northward once more.

There, the enemy's horn calls sounded faintly.

Mingling with the clatter of night watch soldiers in the Zhou army camp.

The mountain rain is about to come, the wind already fills the tower.

The progress bar of growth stands steady at 98%, awaiting the earth-shattering thunder to complete its final tempering.