Chapter 902: First Volume, Chapter 902: Troop Type Counter? Doesn't Exist

First Volume, Chapter 902: Troop Type Counter? Doesn't Exist

"Aaaah!!!"

With a shrill scream, Zhang Feng was impaled clean through by a charging spear, blood spurting from his chest and instantly staining his cloth armor red.

Zhang Zhenhai did not withdraw the spear; instead, he lifted Zhang Feng's corpse on it and dragged it back and forth across the battlefield, roaring: "The enemy general is dead! Anyone who resists will be killed on the spot!"

With Zhang Feng dead, the remaining soldiers lost all morale and fled in panic.

Everything happened too quickly—from the Tianji Camp Guards' ambush to the enemy's rout—less than one incense stick time passed, and the Tianji Camp Guards inflicted zero casualties while killing or wounding over twenty enemies, causing more than two hundred foes to break and flee completely.

Do not pursue desperate foes; Zhang Zhenhai had no interest in the fleeing soldiers. His mission was to clear obstacles for Qin Feng's advance toward Wang Du. After smashing through the First Checkpoint, he did not hesitate—he immediately led the Tianji Camp Guards down the Official Road toward the next Guan Ka.

Speed is paramount in warfare; Zhang Zhenhai must strike before the fleeing soldiers reach the next Guan Ka.

On the other side, Qin Feng rode his horse, followed closely by the Anwu Guard and Beixi Soldiers.

Liu Ming glanced at the open, unobstructed wasteland and said gravely: "Marquis Qin, the enemy will soon realize we're charging full speed down the Official Road. At that point, they'll flood the road with ambushes. If we change direction now, it might yield unexpected results."

Without a moment's thought, Qin Feng rejected it outright: "The enemy thinks the same thing!"

"The forward scouts wiped out earlier were Anwu Guard members. This proves the enemy received help from the Night Owls—who excel at assassination. Chances are, we're being watched by them even now. If we leave the Official Road, we'll walk straight into the Night Owls' carefully laid traps."

"Only a direct breakthrough is the right path."

Hearing this, Liu Ming ceased offering any further suggestions. He immediately ordered the Anwu Guard to protect Qin Feng and Li Xiaolan, then took personal charge as lead scout to reconnoiter ahead.

At the Last Checkpoint of Wang Du, Lü Li personally commanded the defense, flanked by eight hundred elite troops, the Deputy General of Capital Garrison, and the Night Owls.

More than one incense stick time ago, Lü Li had already received word. By now, Qin Feng must have engaged the soldiers at the First Checkpoint.

The Deputy General said gravely: "Pillar of the State, Qin Feng brought only two hundred men. We've deployed nearly five thousand along the route. Today, even if Qin Feng had wings, he cannot escape!"

"Rest assured, Pillar of the State—I will bring you Qin Feng's head!"

Though the words boosted morale, Lü Li remained alert. His eyes were cold and deep. "Do not grow careless and lose Jingzhou. This Qin Feng is cunning by nature, and his men are elite warriors. Only by forcing him off the Official Road can our hidden forces encircle and annihilate him. If he refuses to leave the road, capturing him will be no easy feat."

Nearby, the Night Owl took a military dispatch handed to him, glanced at it, frowned slightly, then stepped closer to Lü Li and whispered his report.

"Pillar of the State, new intelligence: Zhang Feng is dead. His two hundred soldiers have scattered like birds and beasts."

Upon hearing this, the Deputy General stared in shock, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

Even two hundred pigs would take time to round up—yet in the blink of an eye, they broke and fled?

Was Zhang Feng's force just that weak—or was Qin Feng's army that strong?

Compared to the Deputy General's astonishment, Lü Li remained composed. He never expected two hundred men to stop Qin Feng. Besides, this location was too close to Wang Du—he dared not mobilize large forces for a siege, nor could he deploy his best troops. The five thousand men he assembled were all drawn from the Hawk Party's confidants.

To put it kindly, they were Capital Elite. To put it bluntly, they were Tuntian Soldiers lacking real combat experience. To crush a hard target like Qin Feng? Far from easy.

That's precisely why Lü Li sought the Night Owls' aid—to lure Qin Feng into a trap.

But reality differed drastically from Lü Li's expectations. The soldiers guarding the Guan Ka were too soft—they collapsed like paper before Qin Feng's troops. This not only disrupted Lü Li's tactical deployment but also dealt a severe blow to the morale of other units.

Lü Li immediately ordered: the news of Zhang Feng's death must be suppressed. Everyone must remain at their posts and attack Qin Feng on sight, per prior arrangements.

Lü Li spoke sternly to the Night Owl: "We must kill Qin Feng before he reaches Wang Du. He must not be allowed to meet His Majesty—otherwise, he will exploit this to crush the Hawk Party utterly."

"This battle is not just for me—it's for every party member!"

The Night Owl nodded. Though only a small fraction of the Night Owls had joined the Hawk Party, today's strike against Qin Feng had nothing to do with Li Yu. But if they were going to do it, they'd do it thoroughly—eliminate Qin Feng completely.

Meanwhile, over a hundred Night Owls, accompanied by thousands of troops, had already hidden along both sides of the Official Road. If Qin Feng dared leave the road, they would bury him alive.

On the other side, Zhang Zhenhai had already led the Tianji Camp Guards to the Second Checkpoint.

Because Lü Li had strictly sealed the news, the defenders at the Second Checkpoint had no idea who they were facing. When the Tianji Camp Guards suddenly charged, the two hundred soldiers mounted an active defense, adopting the traditional formation: Shield Bearers in front, Infantry as Rear Guard.

Rows of step bows extended through gaps between the great shields, aimed at the thirty cavalry charging toward them.

Zhao Ling, the First General of the Second Checkpoint, watched the approaching cavalry and sneered inwardly. He thought the enemy must be insane—how could they dare launch a cavalry charge with such overwhelming odds? It was suicide.

Zhao Ling was so confident he didn't even prepare his Bow Infantry. He relied solely on great shields and step bows to swallow up these thirty fearless cavalrymen.

Yet he did not know: in Heaven and Earth, no troop type is invincible, no array is flawless.

Whether troop types counter each other is always relative.

In other words, the advantage of any troop type cannot single-handedly turn the tide of battle. The only factor that directly determines battlefield outcomes is morale.

With sufficient morale, sudden victory is possible. With poor morale, even a force several times larger can be cut down like melons and vegetables.

And when infantry face cavalry, the effect of morale becomes even more pronounced.