395 Hanging on a Thread (1/2)
_Leizhou, Tanmu County._
An originally unattractive, humble, and small city became the hotspot of the entire Battle of Leizhou.
Overnight, the small city that could be considered prosperous swiftly fell apart due to war. Death floated in the air, and the busy commercial streets became a wasteland.
The clean stone floors had become dirty and chipped, smudged with puddles of blood. In the drains at both sides, bodies had piled up. The faces of the deceased were simply covered up without a proper burial.
The fire had burned down the shop walls that had carvings and paintings. Parts of the buildings had collapse and smoke from the embers bellowed.
All this scenery described the cruelty of war.
Under the orange setting sun, Caogui stood on the city wall, his eyebrows tightly locked.
A full day and night of attacking.
The south side Shanhai Army, who were trapped in the streets, still stood strong. They were resolute like a mountain.
Caogui had tried all kind of methods, fires, sneak attacks, night attacks, and the like. All of these strategies were useless. The enemy troops were like the undead, their stubbornness alarming.
No matter what you did, I won't budge.
The north side of Leizhou had also formed an alliance. Consequently, this reduced the danger on that side, which also meant that his lord, Yanhuo Yaonie, failed to recruit any new members.
The north and south were separated and rendered apart. Each side fought for themselves.
To survive, one could not act noble.
Yanhuo Yaonie begged the north alliance army to assist Tanmu County and destroy one side of the enemy. The reply they receive was ‘Why don’t the south side troops teleport to Gantang County instead?’
Yanhuo Yaonie was left speechless.
Not everyone had the same courage and strategic foresight as him. Before being totally pushed to the wall, people would only care about their own interests.
After one full day, only two territories joined the south alliance, which brought them to ten thousand men.
Yanhuo Yaonie sent someone to pass the message—there would be no further reinforcements.
Caogui did not dare to wait anymore. He started to launch successive assaults against the enemy. He knew that the Shanhai City cavalry forces were rushing day and night over to Tanmu County.
The stubbornness of their army had exceeded Caogui's expectations.
Caogui could not imagine how a female general managed to train a bunch of hot-blooded men to become so strong and resolute. The balance of the war had started to tilt in the enemy's favor.
”Men!”
”Present!”
”Send my orders—retreat. The army will rest for a night. Tomorrow morning, we will launch our final assault.”
Caogui was like a compulsive gambler; he had decided to bet it all.
”Yes, general!”
Following the rushed bell sounds, the alliance army backed off like a flood.
”Phew!”
Fan Lihua let out a sigh of relief.
”General, from the look of their formation, it seems like they won't sneak attack us tonight, ”said the 2nd regiment colonel, Liaokai.
Fan Lihua nodded, ”Even so, we cannot let our guards down.”
”Understood!”
”Call Zhaoyan overl. It's his turn!”
”General?” Liaokai was astonished; excitement flashed across his eyes.
”General Luo has already sent a message. Before noon, the reinforcements will arrive.”
The Military Intelligence Division used the intel network formed from Feng Birds to send crucial intel quickly and efficiently.
”That's fantastic!”
Liaokai felt very emotional. Finally, the tough days of the 1st division would come to an end.
”Go!”
Fan Lihua waved him off.
”Yes, general!”
Zhaoyan was also a general since the start of Shanhai territory. He was the colonel of the 1st regiment. His men were all sword-shield soldiers; they were the absolute main force during the day battle.
The reason why the 1st division could last until now was because of them.
Compared to Liaokai, who was flexible and smart, Zhaoyan was just a pure, courageous, and fierce general.
Zhaoyan rushed over. His armor and helmet were stained with blood, and even the Tang Blade in his hand was dripping.
If one did not know better, one would think that he was a ghoul that had crawled out from hell.
However, the soldiers around him did not show signs of fear. Instead, they respected and worshipped him.
Normal soldiers were the ones that respected such courageous and strong generals the most.
”General!”
Zhaoyan smiled and bowed.
Fan Lihua nodded, she did not mind Zhaoyan's appearance. Although she was a girl, she had been through all kinds of fights and wars as a general.
Such a small matter could not shake her.
One had to say that this calmness alone was enough to amaze all the men of the 1st division. Even Zhaoyan did not dare get out of hand in front of Fan Lihua.
”Go wash up and choose five hundred elite. Stick to the plan.”
Zhaoyan's eyes brightened up, as he loudly said, ”Understood, I'll definitely complete the mission!”
”Remember, the success or failure of this entire battle depends on you.”
Fan Lihua instructed solemnly.