Chapter 906

First Volume, Chapter 906: Active Offensive

There are many ways to achieve sudden victory with fewer forces, but the factors for success can ultimately be summarized in two: morale, and minimizing the area of close combat to weaken the enemy's numerical advantage.

Since these eight hundred men are all Lü Li's personal guards, Qin Feng gains no advantage in morale.

That leaves only one option: find a way to break Lü Li's personal guards into scattered units.

The idea is simple, but execution is difficult—after all, Lü Li was once commander of the Rong Border, with immense battlefield experience; luring him into a trap is no easy feat.

Qin Feng glanced at the enemy Guan Ka across the way, then turned to look at the pitch-black Huang Ye on either side of the Official Road, and a plan formed in his mind.

"Liu Ming."

At Qin Feng's call, Liu Ming immediately ran to his side.

"Marquis Qin, what are your orders?"

Qin Feng stared at the Huang Ye to the right of the Official Road and asked casually: "Within a radius of Ten Li, roughly how many ambush troops and Night Owls are there?"

Without hesitation, Liu Ming replied: "Roughly five hundred troops. As for the Night Owls, their movements are covert, so exact numbers are hard to determine—estimates range from ten to thirty."

Hearing this, Qin Feng's lips curled slightly: "Then we'll plan for the worst case—thirty Night Owls."

"Five hundred ambush troops, thirty Night Owls within Ten Li—it seems Lü Li has laid out a vast heavenly net to prevent us from breaking out on warhorses. At this density, we'll face ambushes every few steps; we won't get far before being worn down."

"But this is also our opportunity."

"The heavenly net is too wide, hehehe—Lü Zhu Guo has rich combat experience, but unfortunately, his cleverness has backfired. The night is now pitch-black. If I were Lü Zhu Guo, I'd immediately gather most of my troops for total annihilation, while sending small cavalry units to patrol the perimeter and prevent any escapees."

"Lü Zhu Guo is old, his reactions have slowed—no use fighting age!"

Though none of them understood how Qin Feng intended to turn the tide, they couldn't deny that his words lifted their spirits immensely.

They had absolute faith in Qin Feng's abilities; their previously tense hearts gradually settled.

Qin Feng immediately ordered Liu Ming: "Lead the Anwu Guard and infiltrate both flanks. Within this Ten Li radius, there are only five hundred enemies—this density is like a giant fishing net: it can catch big fish and block us layer by layer, but it's weak against small fish."

"Your mission is to assassinate and disrupt the situation nearby!"

"Remember: if you encounter Night Owls, avoid combat immediately. Unless absolutely necessary, do not engage them—they're top-tier spies; a direct clash could go either way."

"Pick the softest persimmons to squeeze—only hunt the ambush troops."

Secret infiltration and assassination were the Anwu Guard's specialty; Liu Ming's face lit up with confidence: "Rest assured, Marquis Qin, I'll turn this entire area upside down!"

With that, Liu Ming led the Anwu Guard into the night, vanishing without a trace.

Qin Feng then summoned Zhang Zhenhai and ordered the Tianji Camp Guards to dismount, leaving all warhorses to the Beixi Soldiers, while the Tianji Camp Guards transitioned from cavalry to infantry.

"Zhang Zhenhai, lead your Tianji Camp Guards and infiltrate from the left flank. Under cover of darkness, kill anything that stands in your way—whether Tuntian Soldiers, Jiabing, or Night Owls—once you're in close combat, kill them all."

"But only target small units. Always strive for numerical superiority, maintain mobility, and never get bogged down. If you encounter a hard target you can't crush quickly, retreat immediately—do not let yourselves be surrounded."

Zhang Zhenhai would never question Qin Feng's orders, yet he glanced at the remaining Beixi Soldiers and felt uneasy.

After hesitating, he finally asked softly: "Marquis Qin, perhaps leave a few Tianji Camp Guards to protect you and Third Miss."

The Beixi Soldiers' loyalty was unquestionable, their combat effectiveness and morale proven—but as the saying goes, each craft has its master. The Beixi Soldiers are traditional infantry and cavalry, skilled in large-scale open field battles, but utterly outmatched by Tianji Camp Guards in small-unit and special operations, and they are not qualified bodyguards.

The Tianji Camp Guards and Anwu Guard have always been responsible for Qin Feng's security; suddenly entrusting it to Beixi Soldiers left Zhang Zhenhai deeply uneasy.

To reassure Zhang Zhenhai, Qin Feng smiled and patted his shoulder: "Don't worry—I know exactly what I'm doing. Tonight, let Lü Zhu Guo see just how formidable our Beixi troops are."

Seeing Qin Feng's firm resolve, Zhang Zhenhai, though still uneasy, obeyed. He led the Tianji Camp Guards into the left-flank Huang Ye.

Now, only Qin Feng, Li Xiaolan, and one hundred Beixi Soldiers remained.

Since the Tianji Camp Guards had left their warhorses behind, the one hundred Beixi Soldiers now became thirty cavalry and seventy infantry.

This was the most dangerous moment—if Lü Li seized the opportunity and sent out his hundred cavalry, their numerical advantage would deliver a fatal blow to Qin Feng!

Fortunately, the darkness, combined with the constant movement of the Tianji Camp Guards and Anwu Guard, kept Lü Li's Imperial Spies from approaching—so they had no idea Qin Feng's troop composition had changed.

"Xiaolan, I'm entrusting these seventy infantry to you."

Seeing Qin Feng entrust such a critical task to her, Li Xiaolan hesitated: "Feng'er, I'm not skilled in commanding troops—if something goes wrong, what then?"

Qin Feng smiled easily, unconcerned: "Don't worry—everything is under my control. You only need to lead these seventy infantry, retreat two Li, then conceal your position. If you encounter small enemy units, ambush and eliminate them. If you face large forces, ignore them entirely."

Li Xiaolan didn't want to leave Qin Feng's side, but realizing this was a life-or-death moment and not wanting to hinder him, she obeyed without protest.

As Li Xiaolan led her troops away, Qin Feng's voice came from behind.

"Xiaolan, before noon tomorrow, I will bring you safely into Wang Du."

Hearing this, Li Xiaolan turned to look at Qin Feng and smiled knowingly: "I believe you."

Watching Li Xiaolan depart, Qin Feng stood with his thirty Beixi cavalry, still gazing at the distant Guan Ka.

Around the Guan Ka, fire torches had been lit, casting clear targets.