Chapter 604: Prelude to a Bloodbath

Southeast of Luoyang, seventy li out.

By an unnamed tributary of the Ru River.

The withered reeds rustled softly in the cold wind.

Several scouts dressed in Northward Aspiration Army uniforms lay prone behind the earthen berm on the riverbank.

Their gaze was fixed tightly on the wild plain across the river that was gradually growing noisy.

There, it had originally been a few scattered villages.

But now it had become a camp rapidly expanding.

Earth‑yellow tents kept popping up like mushrooms after rain.

Flags of various sizes were haphazardly erected.

The most numerous were the False Song's military banners.

But there were also many miscellaneous flags whose allegiance could not be identified.

Streams of people, carts, horses, and livestock moved in a chaotic mass, kicking up dust that haze half the sky.

Rough shouts, livestock cries, metallic clangs, and even faint women's weeping mingled together, drifting on the wind.

"At least… the size of two army divisions."

The scout captain lowered his voice, his throat feeling a bit dry.

He raised a crude‑made monocular telescope and carefully identified the armor and weapons under those banners.

"Judging by the armor style, it's mainly the Huainan Army's leather lamellar, with some Jinghu Army's iron‑studded cotton armor."

"Infantry is the main force, cavalry few…… wait, what's that?"

His telescope stopped on a unit of cavalry that had just arrived and was dismounting.

The cavalry's attire was completely different from that of the surrounding False Song soldiers.

Their helmets had obvious neck guards, and their armor was dark, a tied‑on type with fish‑scale‑like small plates.

The horses were exceptionally sturdy, and their saddles and harnesses were ornate.

Most crucial, the banner they bore—though somewhat tattered—was unmistakable to the scout captain.

That was the Jin army's banner!

"Jin dogs!"

He almost gritted his teeth to pieces.

"Within the False Song's troops, Jin soldiers are mixed in!"

Although their number seemed small, only about a hundred or so horsemen.

But their very appearance was itself an extremely dangerous signal.

This meant that the "cooperation" between the False Song court and the Jin state had moved from behind‑the‑scenes envoy exchanges to openly mixed troops on the front line.

"Chief, look over there!"

Another young scout pointed farther out.

Several ox‑carts, tightly covered with thick cloth, slowly drove into the camp's center under the guard of many infantrymen.

The wheels left deep ruts in the frozen ground.

The guarding infantry looked tense, constantly shouting at anyone who approached.

"Is it a supply wagon? Grain?"

"No." The scout captain frowned, "Grain wagons wouldn't be this heavily guarded, nor would there be only a few of them."

A strong sense of unease rose in his heart.

He recalled the "extraordinary measures" mentioned by General Yue and Mr. Chen at the pre‑war military council.

"Withdraw!"

He made the decision instantly.

"Report everything you've seen—especially the mixed Jin troops and those strange wagons—right away!"

Several scouts, like wildcats, slipped back silently behind the berm and quickly vanished into the withered reed thicket.

Almost at the same time.

Northwest of Luoyang, a watchtower on the Yellow River bank.

The allied troops on duty also sounded the alarm.

"North bank! There are boats!"

Not ferries, but several narrow‑bodied, extremely fast small boats.

They darted out from a bend on the north bank of the Yellow River, not pulling ashore, but speeding downstream along the mid‑stream.

Shadows flickered on the boats, their attire indiscernible.

But their direction of appearance, and that light, swift manner of rowing, immediately made the veteran sentry in the watchtower think of the Jin army's favored "Red Horse Boat."

That was a conveyance commonly used by the Jin army's elite scouts and water ghosts.

"Sound the alert! Relay the message to all downstream outposts! Jin agents are active on the north bank!"

The alarm bells and beacon fires passed along the Yellow River bank's allied defense line, segment by segment.

……

"Report——"

"Southeast direction, by the Ru River tributary—discovered the vanguard camp of the False Song's main force! Scale about twenty thousand! Within the camp, mixed Jin cavalry were found, numbering over a hundred!"

"Report——"

"Northwest along the Yellow River—detected suspected activity of the Jin Red Horse Boat! Intent unknown!"

"Report——"

Thirty li south of the city, the outpost at the northern foot of Mount Tongbai was ambushed by a small unit of unidentified cavalry! The enemy moved in and out extremely fast, using horse archers with powerful arrows; the three men at the outpost suffered light wounds!

Report——

East of the city……

One after another, urgent military reports flew into Luoyang's commander's office like snowflakes.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was heavy as iron.

Yue Fei, Chen Wen, Lin Chong, Wu Yong, Zhang Xian, Wang Gui and others gathered together.

On the map, the red markers indicating enemy threat had already appeared in multiple directions southeast, northwest, and even south of Luoyang.

Southeast is the vanguard of the False Song main force, mixed with Jin troops.

Yue Fei pointed his finger at the map.

In the northwest, Jin military vessels have appeared on the Yellow River; they are scouts, possibly surveying the ford in preparation for later operations.

To the south, Mount Tongbai… and also the mysterious cavalry reported earlier appearing in the north.

He raised his head, his eyes sharp.

Although they have not yet been encircled, pressure from all sides is already evident.

The enemy is probing, pressuring, and seeking our weaknesses.

Especially in the southeast direction," Wu Yong lightly tapped the Ru River location with his feather fan, "the False Song and Jin troops are mixed; once this example is opened, endless troubles will follow. Those few mysterious ox-carts also need extra vigilance.

Lin Chong said in a deep voice: "When the troops come, we will block them. The city defenses have been reinforced, all units are in place. Cavalry can be dispatched at any time to strike their outer reconnaissance and blunt their spirit."

Yue Fei looked at Chen Wen: "Mr. Chen, what do you think?"

Chen Wen had been sitting with eyes closed, focusing his mind.

He was not resting; rather, through Shi Yong he was sensing the flow of momentum around Luoyang, which was becoming ever clearer and more filled with malice.

He opened his eyes and spoke slowly:

The enemy's spirit is at its peak, their sharpness fully exposed.

The False Song army lacks unity, the Jin troops are few in number; their momentum seems tumultuous but is actually hollow.

However, those few ox-carts, and the elusive shadow of the 'Yuan' in the north, are the true variables.

He paused, then took from his bosom a cloth bag, and laid out the several tokens inside that flashed with dark-silver metallic luster and bore fine star-like patterns on their surfaces, one by one, on the table.

The star-pattern tokens are complete.

It is time to make our 'spear' even sharper.

His gaze swept over the core commanders: Lin Chong, Wu Yong, Yue Fei, Zhang Xian, Wang Gui, Yue Yun, Niu Gao and others.

This token as a medium is superior, capable of bearing stronger and more stable power.

I will bestow the imprint upon each of you in turn.

He first picked up one token and looked toward Yue Fei.

General Yue, commander-in-chief, you shall be the strongest blade.

He focused his mind, mobilizing the mysterious power within his body.

His intention locked, the multiplier chosen—sixteenfold.

Hum——

A sound extremely faint, as if vibrating directly deep within the soul.

Chen Wen's fingertip seemed to flash with a faint light (not a visual light, but an impression of energy gathering in perception), and then he pressed it onto that star-pattern token.

The star patterns on the token flared bright for an instant, then withdrew inward, yet the token as a whole now felt different.

It had gained a weighty aura, bearing immense inner power.

He handed the token to Yue Fei.

Holding this token, you can draw upon sixteenfold power to augment yourself. Its duration is longer, its decay slower. Among ten thousand troops, it can serve as the vanguard; in perilous moments, it can stabilize heaven and earth.

Yue Fei solemnly received it.

The token felt slightly warm in hand, and an indescribable warm current, as if faintly resonating with his own qi and blood, spread along his arm.

He clearly felt his five senses sharpen, power surging within his body, and the lingering stiffness from old battlefield wounds subtly eased.

It was not a direct increase in strength, but rather a feeling that his 'state' had been greatly enhanced and optimized.

Thank you, Mr. Xie." Yue Fei bowed respectfully.

Chen Wen nodded, then picked up two more tokens.

He looked toward Lin Chong and Zhang Xian.

Instructor Lin, General Zhang, you two are the sharp edge of cavalry and infantry.

Bestowal, eightfold.

The same process.

Lin Chong and Zhang Xian received the tokens, feeling the wonderful power that accelerated their qi and blood flow and made their bones and muscles faintly hot, infusing their bodies.

It was as if fatigue had been swept away, their state adjusted to the utmost peak, even surpassing peak.

Next were Wu Yong and Wang Gui.

Mr. Wu, General Wang, you who assist in military affairs and guard a region.

Bestowal, fourfold.

Wu Yong took the token and felt his head cool, his thoughts racing several times faster than usual; many previously vague details of the situation and possible clues instantly became clear and orderly.

Wang Gui felt a steady power filling his limbs, his resolve to defend strengthened.

Then came Yue Yun, Niu Gao, and two other selected elite officers.

Yue Yun, Niu Gao… you are the brave officers who charge the battle lines.

Bestowal, twofold.

Yue Yun's young face flushed with excitement as he gripped the token, feeling inexhaustible energy surge through him, eager to charge onto the battlefield at once.

Niu Gao grinned, weighing the token: "Heh, now chopping those riffraff will be even easier!"

Chen Wen drew a slight breath, sweat beading at his forehead.

Simultaneously bestowing high multiples on many, especially Yue Fei, consumes considerable resources.

But his gaze remained clear.

The token must be carried close to the body, activated by intent; its effect can last several hours, depending on usage intensity.

Remember, this is an aid, not invincibility. On the perilous battlefield, you must still rely on your own martial skill, strategy, and the lives of your troops.

Everyone cherished the token, stowing it away, then bowed in unison: "We will keep the teacher's teachings in mind!"

Just then.

Outside the city, to the southeast.

Suddenly, a low, prolonged horn call rang out.

It was none of the familiar signals of the allied army.

Next came a faint, muffled war drumbeat.

"Enemy attack?!"

Zhang Xian stepped to the window.

All that could be seen was dust rising on the southeastern horizon.

Rows of False Song troops, in formations not tight but numerous, guided by banners, slowly pressed toward the open ground southeast of Luoyang.

They did not immediately assault the city.

Instead, they halted about three li from the city wall, began to align ranks, and set up a simple wooden palisade.

Farther off, the hundred-plus Jin cavalry scattered to the wings, prowling like supervisors and like a wolf pack on the hunt.

"The vanguard probes."

Yue Fei walked to the window, gazing coldly.

"They want to gauge our reaction, weigh our strength."

He turned, his gaze sweeping over the officers who had just received the star-pattern tokens and were brimming with vigor.

"Lin Chong."

"The junior officer is here!"

"Take your five hundred elite cavalry, exit the South Gate, and flank to their side."

"No need to engage; just show yourself, loose a few volleys of arrows, charge at their skirmishers, then withdraw."

"Let these far‑away 'guests' know——"

Yue Fei's voice suddenly turned harsh, carrying an iron‑blooded killing aura.

"Luoyang is not their backyard to prowl at will!"

"You came to weigh us?"

"Then prepare to have your teeth knocked out!"

"Received the order!"

Lin Chong's eyes flashed with sharp light; he clasped his fist in acknowledgment, turned, and strode out.

The heavy city gate, amid the creak of the winch, slowly opened a gap.

Iron hooves thundered.

The prelude to a bloody battle has already sounded.