Chapter 1600: Fierce Fighting All Night Long

Hearing this, Zhao Yun's brow furrowed. He had to admit that Gu Yi's analysis made sense. The enemy utilized the terrain advantage to set ambushes in the mountains, which allowed them to hide their tracks and strike rapidly; it was indeed a thorny problem. But he still had doubts in his heart: "Then why did the enemy bury explosives around the grain and supplies? Isn't that clearly telling us they have an ambush?"

Gu Yi shook his head gently, his gaze profound. "This is exactly the cunning of the enemy. They deliberately let us find the explosives, making us panic and think they will directly attack the grain and supplies, thereby ignoring other potential threats. In reality, those explosives might just be a feint; their true purpose is to make us disperse our attention and ignore our vigilance toward the surrounding environment."

Hearing this, Zhao Yun suddenly understood, and his admiration for Gu Yi's strategy grew. He asked: "Then how should we respond?"

Gu Yi stood up and walked to the map, his finger tracing across it. "We need to take two steps. First, dispatch a small team to quietly bypass the potential ambush area and head to the location of the grain and supplies to check the specific situation of the explosives and see if they can be safely removed. Second, the main force must remain vigilant, ready to fight at any time, and simultaneously dispatch scouts deep into the mountains to search for the enemy's tracks."

Zhao Yun nodded and immediately acted according to Gu Yi's deployment. He personally selected an elite team, led by experienced scouts, and quietly set off for the location of the grain and supplies. The main force, under Gu Yi's command, strengthened its defenses and simultaneously dispatched multiple groups of scouts deep into the surrounding mountains to search for any trace of the enemy.

Night fell, and the mountains were silent, with only the occasional sound of insects breaking the tranquility. Gu Yi and Zhao Yun stood on the city tower, their gazes piercing through the darkness, attempting to capture any unusual movement. Time seemed to stand still, and every second was filled with tension and anticipation.

Suddenly, a scout ran over in a hurry, his face pale. "Report to the general, we have discovered an enemy camp in the mountains, with a large number of people; it looks like they are preparing to launch a surprise attack on us!"

Gu Yi and Zhao Yun looked at each other, a cold glint flashing in their eyes. Gu Yi quickly gave the order: "The entire army is to prepare and act according to the pre-arranged plan. General Zhao Yun, you lead a portion of the forces to strike from the flank and attract the enemy's attention; I will lead the main force to strike directly at the enemy's main camp, and we must settle the outcome in one battle."

Zhao Yun took the order and immediately led his troops to move quietly toward the enemy's flank. Gu Yi led the main force, under the cover of night, and approached the enemy's main camp. The air was filled with tension, and every soldier was on edge, preparing to meet the coming battle.

Just at the deepest moment of the night, Gu Yi gave the order, and the main force was like a tiger descending from the mountain, charging straight at the enemy's main camp. The flank force led by Zhao Yun also launched an attack simultaneously. For a time, flames soared into the sky in the mountains, and the sounds of killing shook the heavens.

The enemy clearly did not expect Gu Yi and his men to find the location of the main camp so quickly and accurately, and for a time, they were caught off guard and fell into chaos. Gu Yi and Zhao Yun cooperated tacitly, one in front and one behind, dividing and encircling the enemy, defeating them one by one. After a night of fierce fighting, the enemy finally collapsed and fled into the deep mountains.

Although the battle had come to an end, Gu Yi and Zhao Yun did not relax their vigilance. They knew well that although the enemy had temporarily retreated, they would never give up and would surely find an opportunity to make a comeback. Therefore, the two decided to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the follow-up response strategy.

In the camp tent, the candlelight flickered. Gu Yi and Zhao Yun sat in the main seats, with other generals lined up on both sides, the atmosphere solemn. Gu Yi spoke first: "In this battle, although we achieved victory, the enemy has not been thoroughly eliminated and may launch an attack again at any time. We must be prepared to prevent any unexpected events."

Zhao Yun nodded in agreement and continued: "I agree with General Gu's view. Moreover, I think we should strengthen intelligence collection and find out the enemy's movements and intentions as soon as possible. Only in this way can we formulate more effective response strategies."

A young general stood up, bowed, and said: "Two generals, I think we should strengthen patrols, especially night patrols. The enemy is very likely to use the cover of night to carry out sneak attacks or infiltration."

Gu Yi nodded in approval: "Your suggestion is very good; I will immediately arrange to strengthen patrols. At the same time, we must also remain vigilant to prevent the enemy from using tricks or traps."

Zhao Yun added: "Also, we must ensure the safety of the grain and supplies. Although they only buried explosives around the grain and supplies as bait this time, they might actually take action next time. We must send heavy troops to guard them and ensure nothing goes wrong."

The meeting lasted a long time, and the generals put forward their suggestions and views one after another. Ultimately, Gu Yi and Zhao Yun synthesized everyone's opinions and formulated a detailed response strategy. They decided to strengthen patrols, increase vigilance, ensure the safety of grain and supplies, and strengthen intelligence collection so as to timely understand the enemy's movements.

In the days that followed, Gu Yi and Zhao Yun led the soldiers to act strictly according to the plan. They strengthened the intensity of patrols, especially during the night and early morning, ensuring that no enemy could take the opportunity to sneak attack. At the same time, they also dispatched more scouts deep into the enemy's heartland to gather intelligence.

However, despite all the preparations they had made, the enemy still found an opportunity. One night, when most of the soldiers had already entered their dreams, the enemy suddenly launched an attack. They used the cover of night to quietly approach the camp and lit the torches they had prepared in advance, launching a fierce charge toward the camp.

Gu Yi and Zhao Yun reacted quickly; they immediately organized the soldiers to counterattack. In the darkness, both sides engaged in fierce fighting. Flames soared into the sky, the sounds of killing shook the heavens, and the entire camp fell into chaos.

Gu Yi held his long spear and charged to the front. He shouted loudly: "Soldiers, don't panic! Maintain the formation and charge toward the enemy!" Under his leadership, the soldiers gradually stabilized their position and began to counterattack the enemy.

Zhao Yun led an elite unit and struck from the flank, attempting to cut off the enemy's offensive. He brandished his long sword, charging left and right, as if entering a place with no one around. Under his leadership, this unit quickly broke through the enemy's defensive line and joined forces with Gu Yi's main force.

Both sides fought fiercely for an entire night. By dawn, the enemy finally could not withstand the fierce offensive of Gu Yi and Zhao Yun and began to collapse and retreat. Gu Yi and Zhao Yun pursued the victory, chasing the enemy for dozens of miles.