Chapter 988

First Volume, Chapter 988: Clash of Titans

Wu Kang's objective was to cripple the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade and strip it of its ability to attack the Bei Xian front, but the brigade's sudden retreat disrupted his deployment.

After a brief but fierce battle, Wu Kang already understood the Expeditionary Brigade's combat effectiveness.

If both sides clashed head-on, it would result in mutual devastation—neither could easily defeat the other—but as time passed, the Expeditionary Brigade, with its intact Logistics Battalion, would gradually gain the upper hand; the longer the fight dragged on, the worse it became for the Xiongying Brigade, which is precisely why Wu Kang decisively ordered a direct confrontation.

But he had not anticipated that Xu Mo, the Main General of the Expeditionary Brigade, would be so swift and calm.

With the strength of the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade, no army in the world could stop them from withdrawing by force.

After all, the current battlefield spanned over a hundred li in every direction, with numerous small-scale yet intense battles occurring everywhere, and Wu Kang had already deployed his entire army—some forces to pin down the enemy, the majority concentrated to encircle and annihilate them with superior strength.

Yet to this day, the main force of the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade had not moved.

Once they began retreating, the main force would simply turn southward, while the outer combat units would draw inward, forming a "funnel" formation.

If one concentrated troops to attack the Expeditionary Brigade's rear, they would face fierce counterattacks from large numbers of Infantry, Cavalry, and Bow Infantry—something absolutely irrational for the Xiongying Brigade, which relied primarily on Cavalry.

But to block the Expeditionary Brigade's front path, one must station heavy forces; Cavalry alone could never hold them back.

Moreover, once troop concentration began to intercept the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade, all the forces currently pinning down the enemy would be forced to converge and regroup, at which point the pressure on the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade would plummet, allowing them to perform Battlefield Reorganization.

In such a scenario, facing a well-rounded elite force composed of Cavalry, Infantry, Bow Infantry, Heavy Cavalry, and Logistics Battalion, the Xiongying Brigade could gain no advantage whatsoever—and might even be pushed back.

After careful deliberation, Wu Kang no longer fixated on temporary gains or losses; battlefield conditions were always subject to Rapid Changes. Since his plan for a decisive battle had been uncovered, continuing the fight was pointless. With this realization, Wu Kang also gave the decisive order: full-scale Military Retreat, reorganize troops, and prepare for another engagement.

He simultaneously sent messengers to the Bei Xian front to inform Chen Si's Army not to advance southward further, but to consolidate their DefensiveLine in place to prepare for the enemy's next Counterattack.

When Xu Mo learned that the Xiongying Brigade had also begun retreating, he shook his head and sighed: "Wu Kang is truly the second-best general among the Northern Di, after Chen Si—when it's time to strike, he's ruthlessly decisive; when it's time to retreat, he leaves no trace of hesitation."

"With the Xiongying Brigade blocking the middle, assaulting Chen Si's DefensiveLine will be next to impossible."

Hearing this, Jing Qianying furrowed her brow slightly.

She was not a general and did not understand military campaigns, but she could still clearly see who was strong and who was weak—on every level, from overall strategy to troop quality, their side held a firm advantage over the Northern Di—so why couldn't they break through?

"General Xu, I'm not questioning your Military Talent, I just don't understand why, when we were in Zhuozhou, we advanced triumphantly, but since arriving in Ezhou, we've become hesitant and constrained?"

Facing Jing Qianying's question, Xu Mo was unfazed; after all, her eagerness to meet Qin Feng was understandable.

Xu Mo sighed deeply and explained earnestly: "Fourth Miss, on the battlefield, there is no such thing as absolute advantage."

"Even our most Elite Troops cannot hope to fight two or even three enemies at once."

"This is a war involving tens of thousands—not a brawl among hundreds. Individual willpower, equipment, even Combat Effectiveness—all mean nothing against the scale of the entire battlefield. The only thing that can determine the course of battle is Command."

"Wu Kang has already identified our weakness—he knows the Expeditionary Brigade is the spearhead. If he can pin us down or cripple us, he can disrupt our entire strategic deployment and rob us of the chance for One-Strike Victory."

"Perhaps we still hold the advantage now—but what about a month from now? Three months from now? Eventually, the tide will turn; the Northern Di's advantages will emerge, and we will lose."

In warfare, one must think far ahead; aside from essential core regions, nothing is worth holding at the cost of strategic defeat. Sacrificing strategic victory for tactical gain is a catastrophe for the entire army.

Moreover, it is now known that the Northern Di's three most talented generals have all gathered in Ezhou.

Chen Si, of course, needs no introduction; Wu Kang has already demonstrated his strength, and even that pampered Jing Peng is no pushover.

We must be cautious—extremely cautious—cannot waste the next several months for the sake of a few days.

Xu Mo knew Jing Qianying could not accept battlefield setbacks immediately, but victories and defeats are common in war. For safety's sake, he quietly resolved to keep Jing Qianying with Li Zhang—not because Li Zhang could control her, but because Xu Mo was poor with words; he understood many things clearly, yet could not articulate them well.

Xu Mo led his army not to retreat all the way south in one go, but instead re-established camp one day's march from the enemy, deploying numerous scouts to closely monitor the movements of the Xiongying Brigade and Chen Si's Army.

Two days later, the Light Cavalry Corps arrived; four days later, Li Zhang's main force finally joined Xu Mo.

Upon learning the Xiongying Brigade had suddenly entered the battlefield, Li Zhang offered no criticism of Xu Mo's sudden retreat; on the contrary, he strongly supported Xu Mo's decisive decision.

That night, Xu Mo and Li Zhang held an urgent strategy meeting.

Since Qin Feng's deployment did not account for the Xiongying Brigade, and since the Xiongying Brigade was a Cavalry-dominated force, elusive and unpredictable—even Qin Feng could not accurately predict its movements.

Therefore, the next deployment must rely entirely on Li Zhang and Xu Mo to decide.

Xu Mo pondered: "Young Master, the Xiongying Brigade will surely cling tightly to the Expeditionary Brigade, while our Main Force lacks the ability for a swift victory. How do you think we should fight the next battle?"

Long before arriving, Li Zhang had already thought it through. He smiled easily: "Xu Mo, have you ever heard Qin Hou speak of the story of Tian Ji Horse Racing?"

Seeing Xu Mo shake his head, Li Zhang's lips curled upward: "Our greatest advantage is our speed of movement. Now that the Expeditionary Brigade and Main Force have merged, we have over twenty thousand troops—launching a full assault on Chen Si's DefensiveLine will crush it in one blow!"

"As for the Xiongying Brigade, we need only use our medium horses to hold their superior horse in check."

"Xu Mo, we're not without Cavalry ourselves!"