Chapter 254

Just as Chen Wen led the elite of the Imperial Guards, carrying the newly manufactured "Disturbing Crystal" device from the Ministry of Works, rushing north day and night to aid Jin Prefecture.

North of the River, Wild Wolf Hollow.

After Han Tong and Zhang Yongde received the emperor's edict to 'switch from offense to defense, stabilize the front lines,' although they were unwilling, they also knew this was the current most stable choice.

The horrific scene of that day's first battle still lingered like a nightmare, haunting the hearts of every surviving soldier.

The Iron Crow Army's death warriors, who feared no injury and fought to the death, left too deep a shadow on these veteran soldiers.

Thus, Chen Wen's main camp changed from its previous offensive posture, began digging deep trenches, reinforcing fortifications, setting up many anti-cavalry stakes, and assumed a posture of long-term defense.

The fortifications, relying on the terrain, stretched for several miles, with banners flying and defenses strict.

However, after Liu Yanzuo's rebel forces won a 'great victory' by repelling the main imperial army, their arrogance grew even more.

They did not relax because Chen Wen's army had turned to defense; instead, under the supervision and guidance of Iron Crow Army personnel, they continually sent out small units to carry out relentless harassment.

Today they cut off grain supplies, tomorrow they burned fodder, and the night after they clamored with a feigned attack.

Like vultures circling overhead, though not fatal, they greatly drained the defenders' energy and morale.

What's more headache-inducing is that those eerie Iron Crow Army death warriors still mix among ordinary rebels, launching probing yet extremely deadly attacks.

The wound on Han Tong's arm, sliced by a azure-blue blade, though carefully treated by the army medic, still ached faintly, emitted a chilling yin energy, and healed extremely slowly.

This caused the evil fire in his heart to burn ever more fiercely.

"Damn it! Acting like a scared turtle is so frustrating!"

Inside the central commander's tent, Han Tong paced irritably, like a tiger trapped in a cage.

"Every day these scoundrels provoke us, yet we can't rush out to slash them to our heart's content! This war is being fought in a most awkward way!"

Zhang Yongde was relatively much calmer; he carefully examined the enemy activity range map drawn from recent scouting, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Brother Han, please calm down and do not be impatient."

"The emperor's edict is clear: we must stabilize the front lines and wait for the opportunity."

"Look,"

He pointed to several points on the map.

"Although the rebel raids are frequent, their main force has never dared to approach the core area of our camp."

"What does this indicate? It indicates that they likewise fear our strength and dare not launch a frontal assault."

"Those Iron Crow Army demonic death warriors are surely limited in number; otherwise they would have already been committed to the decisive battle."

"Their current actions are merely intended to weary our army, seek a loophole, or... wait for changes elsewhere."

Han Tong stopped pacing, breathing heavily.

"I understand the reasoning, but just sit and wait? What if something happens to Jin Prefecture..."

He did not continue, but his worry showed on his face.

The emperor himself is going to Jin Prefecture, the risk is extremely high.

If North of the River here cannot take action to restrain part of Liu Yanzuo's and the Iron Crow Army's forces, the pressure on the emperor's side will be even greater.

Zhang Yongde pondered for a moment, a flash of sharp light in his eyes.

"Waiting does not mean doing nothing."

"The emperor's edict says 'do not advance recklessly,' but it does not forbid us from launching a counterattack."

"Especially, targeting those Iron Crow Army demonic warriors!"

He looked at Han Tong.

"Brother Han, I observe that these death warriors, though fearless and immensely strong, seem somewhat stiff in their movements, lacking flexibility in battle."

"Perhaps... we can organize elite squads, relying on the outer defenses of the camp, set traps, and actively hunt down those death warriors that appear alone or in small groups!"

"First, we can accumulate small victories into a big one, gradually weakening their strength and boosting our morale."

"Second, if we can capture one or two intact corpses, we could send them to the rear for the Ministry of Works' skilled artisans to study closely, perhaps finding their weakness."

Upon hearing this, Han Tong's eyes lit up instantly.

"Great idea!"

"Better than just sitting and waiting!"

"I'll personally lead the team!"

"No!"

Zhang Yongde hurried to stop him.

"Brother Han, as a chief commander of an army, how can you recklessly venture into danger? Moreover, your wound has not healed."

"Leave this matter to the daring generals under your command; select the most agile and brave soldiers to carry it out."

"We will stay here to hold the line and coordinate support for them."

Although Han Tong was unwilling, he also knew that Zhang Yongde's words made sense, and he slammed his fist heavily onto the table.

Then we'll do as you say!

The order was quickly issued.

Several Hunter Kill Squads formed from the army's elite quickly came into being, each about twenty strong, equipped with powerful bows and stiff crossbows, fishing nets, grappling hooks, and a large quantity of hastily made fire‑oil pots.

Their mission was, when the rebels harassed, to lie in wait at the preset ambush points, specifically targeting those Iron Crow Army death warriors who charged to the fore with conspicuous traits.

The tactic was clear: not to seek total annihilation, but to kill or seriously wound the target at the smallest possible cost.

The first operation was set for dusk.

A rebel force of about fifty, as usual, came to clamor and shoot arrows before the camp, among them five death warriors with vacant eyes and slightly stiff movements.

When these five death warriors broke from the main group and tried to approach the fence to sabotage it, three Hunter Kill Squads suddenly struck from different hiding places.

The arrow barrage came first, not aimed at vital spots but at their lower limbs, seeking to limit their movement.

Next, fire‑oil‑soaked arrows whistled through the air, shot toward the ground around them.

Boom!

Flames surged up instantly, temporarily trapping the five death warriors in a ring of fire.

At the same time, several specially made large nets fell from the sky, attempting to cover them.

The fishing nets were studded with iron hooks; once entangled, it was extremely hard to break free.

This sudden strike obviously caught those death warriors off guard.

They emitted inhuman roars and struggled desperately.

The flames scorched their bodies, producing a sizzling sound and a burnt smell, but they seemed to feel no pain; only their movements were slightly hindered by their burning clothing.

The hook‑studded fishing nets indeed entangled three of them, greatly slowing their movements.

The other two broke through the fire ring with reckless force and lunged straight at the nearest "hunting squad"!

Throw!

The squad leader shouted loudly.

The soldiers hurled the prepared leather bags filled with quicklime and iron caltrops at the two death warriors with all their might!

Pfft!

The bags burst, quicklime powder spread everywhere, and iron caltrops scattered across the ground.

The two death warriors had their vision obstructed and were wounded in the feet by the iron caltrops; although they still roared and charged forward, their speed and threat were greatly reduced.

Kill!

The spearmen and shield bearers hidden on the flank surged forward, no longer competing with them in strength, but specifically attacking their joints, eye sockets and other relatively weak points, or several people working together to knock them to the ground and smash their heads with heavy weapons!

The three death warriors entangled in the fishing nets, after paying the cost of several casualties, were turned into hedgehogs by a volley of arrows, or were pierced through vital spots by spears thrust through the net's mesh.

The battle ended.

All five Iron Crow Army death warriors were wiped out.

And the three hunting squads also suffered the cost of seven killed and five seriously wounded.

The cost remained heavy.

But compared to the previous frontal battlefield, where it took dozens or even hundreds of elite troops to exchange for a single death warrior, this is already a huge improvement.

More importantly, they successfully and proactively hunted down these terrifying "monsters".

When the five mutilated death warrior corpses, reeking of burnt flesh and stench, were dragged back to the main camp, the entire garrison boiled over!

Killed them! Kill those monsters!

I knew it! They aren't truly impervious to blades and spears!

General Han! General Zhang! Mighty!

The low morale was lifted all at once!

Han Tong gazed at those several corpses; although he felt sorrow for the fallen soldiers, the pent‑up frustration in his chest finally found some release.

Zhang Yongde, meanwhile, paid more attention to the corpses themselves.

He ordered the army's medical officers and the Ministry of Works artisans accompanying the troops to immediately conduct a detailed examination and autopsy of these corpses, hoping to uncover more information about their weaknesses.

The news naturally also reached the rebel army's main camp opposite.

Upon hearing the report, Liu Yanzuo was both startled and angry.

He never expected that the Chen army, after shifting to the defensive, would dare to launch such an active assault and successfully kill the Iron Crow Army death warriors he relied upon as his right‑hand aid.

The supervisor sent by the Iron Crow Army to his headquarters had a face so dark it seemed water could drip from it.

It seems there are also capable people within the Chen army.

That supervisor said coldly.

We can't let them continue to squander our "medicine soldiers" so recklessly.

Pass the order down: halt the small‑scale harassments.

We need… to re‑plan.

The situation in Hebei thus fell into a strange calm.

The Chen army no longer launched light attacks, and the rebel army also temporarily ceased its endless harassments.

Both sides faced each other across deep moats and high walls.

In the air lingered the suffocating calm before a storm.

Han Tong and Zhang Yongde knew this calm would not last long.

The Iron Crow Army and Liu Yanzuo were undoubtedly brewing a new round, a more violent storm.

And they must make use of this precious respite to further strengthen their defenses, digest the experience of the hunting‑squad tactics, and anxiously await a true weapon capable of breaking the stalemate—whether from Jinzhou or from the Ministry of Works in Bian Liang.