Chapter 554: First Joint Operation

Shi Dun, carrying the secret agreement reached with Yue Fei, rushed back to Black Cloud Stronghold day and night.

The detailed cooperation provisions, contact codes, and concealed locations and methods for materiel transfer.

All had been settled with Yue Fei and his few trusted aides.

The first batch of fifty God‑Slaughtering Crossbows and Soul‑Calming Bells promised by the Northward Aspiration Army.

A small retinue that followed Shi Dun remained in the Yue Family Army camp, to be personally received and guarded by Yue Yun.

The agreement having been reached, the next step is to put it into action.

The objective of the first joint operation is clear.

The Northward Aspiration Army will launch a conspicuous feint in the north.

To draw the Jin army's attention, especially to pin down any reinforcements that might move south;

Yue Fei will seize the opportunity, sending elite forces against a strategic point held under the control of the False Qi Liu Yu faction,

—located about a hundred li northeast of Xiangcheng, controlling several waterways and roads that converge at "Three Mountains Town".

Launch a swift strike‑point operation.

The time is set for five days from now.

Black Cloud Stronghold, Council Hall.

Chen Wen sat in the center.

Lin Chong, Chao Gai, Wu Yong, Wang Ru, Qian Gui and others gathered together.

Shi Dun, dust‑traveled, had just finished reporting the southern details.

"…Marshal Yue has secretly mustered a detachment of his Defiant Army, the troops most skilled at assaulting fortifications,

together with the elite troops under Zhang Xian's command, altogether about three thousand men, moving covertly toward Three Mountains Town.

Supplies and arrows are fully stocked; we only need our forces in the north to open fire."

Chen Wen looked at the large map of Hebei and Shandong hanging on the wall, his finger pointing to the area where Zhen Ding Prefecture and He Jian Prefecture meet.

"Our feint will be here."

His fingertip traced a region where hills and rivers intertwine.

"Here the Jin garrison is relatively sparse, but the location is crucial, linking several grain routes.

Once attacked, the Jin forces of Zhen Ding, He Jian, and even farther north will not dare to take it lightly."

"Lin Chong, you will oversee this northern feint.

I will give you eight hundred elite troops, of whom two hundred will be issued the newly arrived God‑Slaughtering Crossbows.

Your mission is to harass the three Jin outposts in this area, burning their stockpiled grain and fodder.

Make it appear that you intend to cut off their southern supply line.

The display must be big, the action swift—strike and withdraw at once, never linger in battle.

But you must make the Jin forces clearly feel that this is a planned, powerful assault, not the usual bandit raid.

Lin Chong clasped his fists, battle spirit igniting in his eyes.

"I will obey the order! I will make the Jin barbarians think our Northward Aspiration Army's main force intends to march north, forcing them to redeploy troops to defend."

"Chao Gai."

Chen Wen then turned his gaze to Chao Gai.

"You will lead three hundred horsemen, staying about ten li behind Lin Chong's unit, to serve as reinforcement.

If Lin Chong's unit retreats and encounters a large Jin force in pursuit, you are to strike the enemy's flank, disrupt them, and cover the withdrawal.

If the Jin forces do not take the bait, or their troops are not mobilized on a large scale,

then your unit shall, according to circumstances, expand the raiding area to create greater chaos.

"Received!" Chao Gai rubbed his palms together.

"Master Wu, coordinate the remaining troops of the stronghold and heighten vigilance.

Especially the western direction of the light barrier and the main route southward; guard against the Iron Crow Army or small elite Jin units slipping in.

"Wang Ru, Qian Gui, the north‑south intelligence network must operate at full capacity.

Closely monitor the Jin main camp, the False Song court, and any possible movements of the Iron Crow Army; report any news immediately."

All voiced their assent in unison and went their separate ways to prepare.

Five days later, at dawn.

South of Zhen Ding Prefecture in Hebei, beside a tributary of the Hutuo River.

The sky was still dark, the cold biting to the bone. Lin Chong's eight hundred elite troops.

Like a pack of wolves in the dark night, they silently approached the first target

— a Jin outpost situated at a river bend.

The outpost is modest, of earth‑and‑wood construction, garrisoned by about two hundred soldiers.

Its main duty is to guard the nearby wharf and store part of the grain shipped down from the north.

Lin Chong lay low behind a rise of earth, coldly watching the sparse moving watch‑fire on the walls.

Behind him, the two hundred soldiers armed with God‑Slaughtering Crossbows had loaded their bolts and held their breath, waiting.

The remaining six hundred sword‑and‑shield bearers and spearmen were dispersed to the flanks, ready to assault.

"Attack!"

Lin Chong gave a low shout, pointing his spear forward.

"Hiss—hiss—hiss—hiss—"

In the night, the sharp crack of crossbow bolts tearing the air was not dense, yet it carried a deadly rhythm.

The two hundred God‑Slaughtering Crossbows were fired in two volleys, within just a few breaths.

Nearly four hundred specially made crossbow bolts, like a violent wind and sudden rain, covered a section of the fort wall!

Tragic cries rang out suddenly, the flames on the walltop instantly extinguished in several places, and silhouettes toppled.

"Enemy attack——!"

The alarm bell had just been struck when its sound cut off abruptly.

"Charge!"

Lin Chong led the troops, dashing out like a black shadow, with the elite forces behind him surging like a tide toward the fort gate.

The simple stockade gate, under violent impact and axe blows, quickly shattered.

The battle was almost completely one-sided.

The defenders were still asleep or just startled awake by the alarm, hastily meeting the attack.

What they faced, however, were the Northward Aspiration army's elite—fully armed, well-trained, and burning with determination.

Especially those soldiers wielding the Suppressing Evil crossbows, who still exerted a terrifying effect in close combat.

At short range, their repeating crossbow bolts were almost like holding thunder and fire, shooting the Jin soldiers attempting to form ranks into disarray.

In less than two quarters of an hour, the fort fell.

The Jin troops were either dead or captured, and their stockpiled hundreds of dan of grain were doused with fire oil and set ablaze.

The soaring flames lit the pre‑dawn sky, thick smoke rolling, visible for ten li.

Lin Chong delayed not, leaving a small force to handle prisoners and burn unusable equipment, while the main force immediately surged toward the second target ten li away.

At the same time, Chao Gai's three hundred cavalry, like ghosts, roamed the outer periphery.

They intercepted and killed three Jin cavalry squads trying to race to the Hejian Prefecture main camp to sound the alarm.

They also sent out multiple raiding parties to set fires all around, creating chaos and making a show of strength.

The Northward Aspiration army's actions were swift and violent, deliberately leaving obvious Northward Aspiration markings.

The news spread like wings, flying swiftly in all directions.

The Jin garrison commander of Hejian Prefecture received the emergency report first, initially thinking it was just ordinary bandits.

But as reports came in of one fort after another being attacked, supplies burned, and messengers intercepted...

Especially when he confirmed that the attackers possessed never‑before‑seen rapid‑fire crossbows, his face changed.

"It's the Northward Aspiration army! The main force of the Black Cloud Stronghold bandits has come out!"

The commander was both shocked and angry.

The memory of the defeat at Eagle's Beak Ravine was still fresh; that band of bandits ought not to be staying peacefully in the mountains.

How dare they take the initiative and even run into his defensive zone?

Judging by this posture, it's certainly no minor skirmish!

He dared not delay, ordering all outposts to hold firm on one hand, while sending an urgent report to Zhenjiang Prefecture on the other.

At the same time, he began drafting troops from nearby outposts, preparing to concentrate forces to encircle and annihilate this audacious 'bandit' force.

The high command of the Jin forces in Zhenjiang Prefecture also received the news and were equally shaken.

This time, the Northward Aspiration army's deployment chose a rather tricky position; if they were allowed to gain a foothold or continually sabotage the supply lines, it would indeed be detrimental to the southern front.

For a moment, the attention of the Jin forces in Hebei was firmly drawn to the suddenly ignited 'warfire' in the southern part of Zhenjiang‑Hejian.

Just as the northern feint was raging like fire.

In the south, outside Sanshan Town.

Yue Fei stood on a high slope, gazing at the town shrouded in morning mist.

The town walls were higher and thicker than an ordinary county seat, defended by about fifteen hundred pseudo‑Qi troops.

Although their equipment was not as fine as the Jin elite's, relying on the defensive terrain made them a tough bone to crack.

Behind him, three thousand elite Yue Family troops had finished refitting, fully armored, swords and spears gleaming, not a sound.

Generals Zhang Xian, Yue Yun, and others stood solemnly to the side.

"The time has come."

Yue Fei withdrew his gaze, his tone calm yet containing a will as hard as steel.

"Our brothers to the north have already drawn the Jin barbarians' gaze. Now it's our turn."

He drew his sidearm sword, its point aimed directly at Sanshan Town.

"Take this town, sever one arm of the pseudo‑Qi, and open the northeastern corridor!"

"Kill!"

The three thousand elite surged like a breached dam flood, pouring toward Sanshan Town in the morning light.

There was no extra shouting, only the orderly, rapid tread of footsteps and the cold glint flashing from weapons.

The pseudo‑Qi defenders on the town walls had just changed shifts, still somewhat sleepy‑eyed.

When they saw a vast, neat formation of Song troops suddenly appear on the horizon,

especially when they saw the familiar 'Yue' banner, did terrified screams and frantic gong sounds suddenly erupt.

"It's the Yue Family Army! Yue Fei has come!"

Arrows fell like rain, first blanketing the walltop.

The Yue Family Army's archers and crossbowmen, well‑trained, unleashed three rounds of rapid fire that kept the defenders from raising their heads.

At the same time, dozens of simple siege ladders were shouldered by brave soldiers and rushed toward the walls.

Among the charging soldiers, about a hundred held precisely the Suppressing Evil crossbows given by the Northward Aspiration army.

They had not expended their bolts in long‑range exchanges, but followed closely with the assault teams.

At the moment they neared the wall, they aimed at the defenders peeking over the crenels and pulled the triggers.

"Deng deng deng deng!"

Short and deadly crossbow bolts flew in succession, shooting down the defending troops at the outset in droves.

It cleared the most critical deadly zone for the brothers scaling the wall.

Yue Yun, clad in heavy armor and wielding twin hammers, was the first to climb a siege ladder.

Roaring, he leapt onto the battlement, swinging his twin hammers; none could withstand him.

Zhang Xian led another elite force up the wall from the flank; his blade flashed like snow, quickly widening the breach.

The battle was one-sided from the start.

The False Qi garrison already had low morale.

Under the Yue Family Army's long-prepared fierce assault and the devastating strike of the Imperial Killer Crossbow—a weapon beyond comprehension—they quickly collapsed.

In less than an hour, the town gate was opened from within, and the Yue banner was planted on the central drum tower of Three Mountain Town.

The good news spread south and north at a speed faster than the Jin army's reaction.

In the first joint operation, a northern feint and a southern main attack, cooperating seamlessly, won the initial battle.

The Northward Aspiration Army successfully drew part of the Jin army's attention and dealt it a minor setback.

The Yue Family Army successfully pulled out a nail, obtained valuable supplies, and further pressed against the False Qi-controlled area.

However, neither Chen Wen in the Black Cloud Stronghold nor Yue Fei, who had just stepped onto the ruined walls of Three Mountain Town, felt much joy.

They knew this was only the beginning.

A greater storm was accelerating in its brewing due to their successful cooperation this time.

Whether it was the Jin state's fury or the False Song court's deeper suspicion,

or the Iron Crow Army's forthcoming, more intense countermeasure, they would soon follow one after another in the near future.