A faint whitish glow appeared in the east.
Thin morning mist lingered among the mountain forests.
Birds poked their heads out from their nests, looking down in puzzlement.
Their little brains could not comprehend why the humans below refused to sleep at night and made such noise that even they could not rest.
On the open ground below the slope, a triangular black battle formation stood surrounded by thousands of Tubo soldiers.
The Tubo troops had suffered heavy losses from the initial flash grenades.
Not only had they lost a third of their strength, but many still had blurred vision and could not see clearly even now.
Yet the two thousand from the north city gate had arrived, so the number of Tubo soldiers had increased rather than decreased.
Before setting out, Danzhu had given the leading banner commanders a deadly order: even if all five thousand were wiped out, they must destroy the black-armoured unit, or everyone would be hanged upon return.
Under such a brutal command, the banner commanders drove the Tubo soldiers like tidal waves, launching frenzied attacks on the black-armoured formation.
The black-armoured unit stood firm as a rock, with male soldiers on the outside and female soldiers within, repelling wave after wave.
The piles of corpses outside the triangular formation grew ever higher.
These bodies became shields for the escorts, increasing the difficulty for the Tubo attackers. The commanding banner leaders had no choice but to order soldiers to drag the corpses away when possible.
…
Outside Xichuan City.
Soldiers continually returned to the Tubo main camp from various directions, then assembled on the drill ground as instructed.
When the sun cast its first golden rays, a personal guard ran to the watchtower to report.
“General, all have assembled!”
“How many in total remain?” Danzhu asked.
“Six thousand eight hundred and thirty-two!” the guard replied.
“Fewer than even seven thousand…”
Bitterness filled Danzhu’s heart.
When he had arrived, he brought twenty thousand men, full of spirit, planning to plunder heavily, then besiege Xichuan City and force the Da Kang court to pay tribute to Tubo.
Ideals were plump, reality skeletal.
First, at the Jinma River, Jin Feng’s flood swept away three thousand. Then at Mao’er Mountain, another two thousand were nearly annihilated.
After that, Jin Feng began constant harassment. Though no large-scale battles occurred, with flash grenades and heavy crossbows, night patrols were repeatedly ambushed.
Over these days, losses had accumulated.
Then the east gate: scouts who had just gone to investigate returned, reporting that the two thousand blockading the east gate had been pinned down by the Qingyuan army, then Qing Xinyao sent forces out from the city, wiping them out completely.
As for Bao’er Mountain and the troops holding the moat sluice gates, not one had returned. They were probably all dead too.
He had also sent three thousand plus the two thousand from the north gate to encircle the black-armoured unit and Iron Tiger Camp.
Add in other minor casualties.
Even recalling troops from all key positions, he barely scraped together fewer than seven thousand.
How could Danzhu feel at ease?
“General, we have few men, but Great Python Slope has even fewer!”
Seeing Danzhu’s mood falter, Wu Zhe quickly consoled him. “As long as we capture Chen Wen’er and Qing Mulang, it will all be worth it.”
“Yes, we lack numbers, Great Python Slope lacks them too, and their strongest forces, the black-armoured unit and Iron Tiger Camp, have been sent out by Jin Feng!”
Danzhu felt confident again. He clenched his fist. “Now Great Python Slope has only Meng Tianhai’s Weisheng Army, no more than five thousand at most, and the terrain is not defensible. Our seven thousand can easily take it!”
“But Jin Feng has many tricks. The general must not underestimate him.”
Seeing Danzhu grow overly excited, Wu Zhe poured cold water once more. “We must also beware of Qing Xinyao striking from behind.”
Danzhu, as one of Gadha’s trusted generals, was no reckless fool.
Realising he had indeed become too exhilarated, he forced himself to calm down, reviewed the plan with Wu Zhe again, and confirmed no flaws.
“General, we are now on Da Kang soil. Chen Wen’er’s reinforcements could arrive any time, so this battle must be swift and decisive to avoid complications!”
Below the watchtower, Wu Zhe reminded him once more.
“Sir, I understand the stakes,” Danzhu said. “The rear is entrusted to you. I have told Da Chi to follow your commands completely.”
“Rest assured, General. Even if this old man dies, he will hold back Qing Xinyao!”
Wu Zhe bowed deeply to Danzhu. “I wish the general swift victory and invincible advance!”
“I accept your auspicious words!”
Danzhu returned the bow, then turned and walked toward the drill ground.
Boom, boom, boom!
Muffled drumbeats echoed through the Tubo main camp.
Nearly seven thousand soldiers, watching the flags, divided into two groups.
Six thousand, under Danzhu’s command, charged out of the camp at top speed, heading straight for Great Python Slope.
The remaining nearly one thousand followed Wu Zhe eastward.
…
At the summit of Great Python Slope, Qing Mulang was using a telescope to scan northward.
The black-armoured unit’s scouts had sent signals, visible from Great Python Slope too.
Jin Feng and the others were deeply concerned about the northern battle.
“Sir, it is already light, yet we still cannot see anything!”
Qing Mulang kept adjusting the telescope focus, asking anxiously.
“From the signal arrows last night, Brother Liang and the others have gone far. This is just a simple single-tube telescope. Did you think it was a thousand-li eye?”
Jin Feng said, “Besides, there is morning mist. You would have to be a ghost to see them.”
“Sir, Wuyang, are you not worried at all?”
Qing Mulang lowered the telescope and asked. “The scouts just confirmed: last night Danzhu sent three thousand out the east gate and recalled the two thousand blockading the north gate, making five thousand in total. Yet Brother Liang has only five hundred!”
To avoid detection by Jin Feng, the three thousand Wu Zhe sent last night to ambush the black-armoured unit had left via the east gate of the Tubo camp, followed the moat northward for several li, then turned onto the official road.
Jin Feng, seeing the northern signal arrows, had sent men to investigate and only then learned the situation.
Qing Mulang was nearly frantic with worry, yet Jin Feng and the Ninth Princess remained completely composed.
“What use is worrying when we cannot help?” Jin Feng said helplessly.
“How is it useless?” Qing Mulang countered. “We can send men to reinforce Brother Liang!”
“We have fewer than five thousand here now. If we send more out, what if Danzhu attacks?” Jin Feng asked in return.
“Did you not say Danzhu is cautious and suspicious, unlikely to attack us lightly?” Qing Mulang said. “If he wanted to, would he not have done so already?”
“That was then, this is now,” Jin Feng shook his head. “Before, Danzhu held the advantage, but now we have taken Great Python Slope, Bao’er Mountain, and the east city gate, effectively surrounding him in this area.
Even a cornered rabbit bites. No matter how cautious, in a desperate situation, who knows what anyone might do?”
Just as he finished speaking, muffled drumbeats came from the Tubo camp to the east.
Looking over, they saw countless Tubo soldiers pouring out of the camp, waving curved blades as they charged toward Great Python Slope.
“The Tubo army is assaulting the camp!”
Jin Feng leapt up from the rock. “Beat the drums! Release the smoke!”
