Chapter 195: Save or Not Save

They’ve arrived, just as expected. General Nanke said gravely, “How many troops do they have?”

“We couldn’t get close enough to count precisely, but there are at least—at least seven thousand!”

“Seven thousand!” Everyone’s faces changed, and General Nanke was also startled. “How is that possible? The Baling army garrisoned at Weicheng totals just over two thousand! Are you certain you didn’t miscount?”

The scout stated emphatically, “There are only more, not fewer! If I have misjudged, I’ll accept military punishment!”

At that moment, a sparrowhawk descended from the sky, landing on General Nanke’s shoulder and speaking with a human voice, “I came from the northeast and saw dust rising from the ground; nearly ten thousand enemy troops are approaching!”

Even the hawk in the sky said so; there could be no mistake. The deputy generals gazed anxiously at General Nanke, whose mind raced.

He had anticipated the enemy attack but misjudged their numbers.

Seven thousand enemy troops could easily alter the outcome of the battle.

What now? The formidable enemy would be upon them in moments, and the Panlong City army, burdened with hundreds of supply wagons, couldn’t move quickly. No matter how brave the Panlong City army, it would be unwise to engage an enemy six or seven times their number on an open plain, especially while protecting merchants and wagons. Not to mention himself, even General Hong’s personal presence might not guarantee a full retreat.

General Nanke no longer hesitated. He turned and pointed towards the Ghost Needle Stone Forest, “Turn the troops around and enter the stone forest immediately!”

A less perceptive adjutant was startled, “General, there might be an ambush inside.”

“Nonsense, do you think I don’t know that?” General Nanke said coldly. “Only there can we maneuver effectively! Even if it’s a trap, we have to hold our noses and jump into it now!”

Without delay, military orders were issued one after another. The entire force immediately reversed direction, rushing towards the Ghost Needle Stone Forest.

At the same time, General Nanke fed the sparrowhawk a small piece of dried meat, whispered a few words to it, and then patted its head, “Please make another trip.”

The sparrowhawk spread its wings and took flight.

Its feathers were reddish-brown with speckles, and it was larger than its ordinary counterparts. After taking off, it shot like a meteor towards the north, moving significantly faster than a regular falcon—truly astonishing speed. However, no one noticed that two large vultures circling high above changed direction and quietly followed.

Puxi Gully.

Like other cities on the Panlong Wasteland, Puxi Gully was not large in area or population, but years of war had fortified it with high walls and deep moats. The Baling people had attacked it repeatedly but failed to take it.

Today, Puxi Gully’s city gates were tightly shut, with no one allowed in or out. However, many new faces had appeared inside the city, all heavily armored, well-armed, and radiating a killing intent. They were neither loud nor troublesome, not even conversing with local residents. They simply stayed in the open space beneath Puxi Gully’s city walls, sharpening their blades, watering their horses, and resting with closed eyes. This army possessed a unique demeanor: as still as pines, as deep as an abyss, yet seemingly containing a blazing fire, ready to erupt and strike at any moment. Their vibrant red armor drew gazes of respect from the civilians.

The Great Wind Army.

No one had expected that while General Nanke was still escorting the merchant convoy two or three hundred li away on the wasteland, the Great Wind Army had quietly entered Puxi Gully.

Xiao Maoliang was adjusting the saddle on his beloved horse when he suddenly heard the fluttering of wings above. He looked up and saw a familiar-looking sparrowhawk descend from mid-air, landing on the city wall.

It’s here. Xiao Maoliang’s heart tightened. He rushed to the city wall, taking two steps at a time, just in time to hear the bird demon speak:

“Report: General Nanke has encountered an enemy attack in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest!”

The master it was reporting to stood on the city wall, facing the southern wasteland. Aside from his vibrant red armor, others could only see his fiercely flapping cloak. Behind him stood veteran generals, men who could defeat enemies with a laugh, yet they stood there with hands respectfully clasped, their expressions solemn, as if daring not to breathe too deeply.

The falcon demon continued its report, “The Baling enemy numbers nearly ten thousand. General Nanke has taken refuge in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest and sent me to request your aid!”

“Nearly ten thousand?” Xiao Maoliang and the other deputy generals exchanged glances.

The entire Baling army in Weicheng totals less than three thousand. Even if they all mobilized, where would the other six or seven thousand come from?

When the falcon demon finished speaking, the man slightly tilted his head. The wind on the city wall suddenly ceased, the air became still, and his billowing cloak instantly settled.

He could effortlessly influence his surroundings.

But this anomaly lasted only an instant. The man raised his hand and pointed west, and a cold voice resonated directly in everyone’s minds, “Prepare to strike.”

The soldiers on the city wall five feet away didn’t hear him speak at all.

The deputy generals were slightly surprised, “General, are we not sending a detachment to the Ghost Needle Stone Forest?”

“General Nanke can hold his ground.” That single, understated sentence sealed the fate of the southern patrol army to a life-or-death struggle for the next several hours.

Fortunately, the sparrowhawk received another command from its master, “Fly back to Panlong City now and gather reinforcements for General Nanke.”

From Panlong City to the Ghost Needle Stone Forest is about three hundred li. Even at a forced gallop, it would take three or four hours, and the roads on the Panlong Wasteland are not all flat. Moreover, it would be dark in another hour or so. This doesn’t even account for the sparrowhawk’s flight time back to Panlong City. A rough estimate suggested that if reinforcements arrived by dawn, it would be a blessing; General Nanke’s force would have to hold out alone for at least four or five hours.

“Yes!” The sparrowhawk reported again, “On my way here, I was being watched by two large vultures high in the sky. I flew eighty li before I finally shook them off.”

“Do you recognize them?”

“No, I don’t, nor do they seem like the demons of the wasteland.”

Six or seven thousand enemy troops appearing out of nowhere, and bird demons of unknown origin. With these added variables, the deputy generals all felt a sense of foreboding.

“Shaking them off was useless,” the man said to the sparrowhawk. “Panlong City is to the southeast, yet you didn’t fly there; instead, you came directly north. This has already indicated to the enemy that Nanke’s reinforcements are to the north. And to the north... there is only Puxi Gully.”

The sparrowhawk immediately lowered its head.

Upon receiving General Nanke’s plea for aid, it naturally rushed here with all its might; how could it have considered such comprehensive details?

The man waved his hand, and the sparrowhawk had no choice but to take flight towards Panlong City.

The sooner it arrived, the sooner General Nanke could receive aid.

“This means the newly arrived enemy will soon know we are in Puxi Gully, and it won’t be hard for them to deduce our target is Weicheng. After all, it’s only a few dozen li from here to Weicheng; cavalry could get there in no time.”

For the Baling people, the Panlong army has split into two forces, one still hidden in Puxi Gully. Their intent is quite clear, isn’t it?

Therefore, “our current attack can no longer be considered a surprise.”

Only by surprise can victory be achieved.

Their original plan was to lure Hua Mutuo, desperate over his brother’s death, into fully attacking General Nanke and the convoy. The Great Wind Army, hidden in Puxi Gully, would then seize the opportunity to retake Weicheng and eliminate this thorn in their side in one swift move. Puxi Gully couldn’t accommodate an army of several thousand for long-term stationing, but it could hold out for a few days without issue.

The plan sounded somewhat simplistic, but battles are always about simple plans, meticulous execution, and the art of deception to achieve extraordinary results. After Hua Mutuo took Weicheng, his engagements with Panlong City had generally put him at a disadvantage, and he had been harboring resentment. Then, three days ago, his brother died tragically... When one’s closest kin is murdered, who would dare say, “I can endure, I won’t get angry, I won’t send troops, I won’t seek revenge”?

When people are consumed by anger, they are most prone to making mistakes and ignoring advice.

Conversely, if Hua Mutuo had responded calmly and not taken the bait, at most, the Great Wind Army would have returned to Panlong City, and General Nanke would have successfully escorted the merchants back to Puxi Gully—which would have been a great outcome in itself. Retaking Weicheng would simply be a matter for another time, eventually.

However, the more than seven thousand Baling troops, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, immediately disrupted this plan.

General Nanke and the merchant goods, acting as bait, were in grave danger. If the Great Wind Army stood by and still attempted to secretly seize Weicheng according to the original plan, there would be two problems: Firstly, how long could General Nanke, with just over a thousand men and hundreds of wagons, hold out against seven thousand opponents? Secondly, could the Great Wind Army certainly capture Weicheng?

Xiao Maoliang’s brows furrowed, “If the enemy could dispatch nearly ten thousand troops to intercept General Nanke and the convoy, perhaps they also had a garrison in Weicheng, meaning it would no longer be an empty city.”

This operation mustn’t turn into a situation where they tried to fish but got their bait swallowed instead, which would be a great embarrassment.

The man at the front asked them, “If you were the new Baling commander, knowing that General Nanke’s reinforcements are in Puxi Gully, what would your next move be?”

Xiao Maoliang was momentarily stunned, “New commander?” Then he suddenly understood, “Of course, Hua Mutuo only commands just over two thousand men. This newly appeared Baling army must be led by someone else. Otherwise, General Nanke wouldn’t have been caught off guard.”

The generals considered this and offered their opinions. Ultimately, they agreed that if they were the Baling commander, their next move would depend on how many troops they had left: if many, they would attack Puxi Gully; if few, they would firmly defend Weicheng, preventing the Great Wind Army from succeeding.

“Where do you think this force came from?”

“From within Baling territory!” This time, the generals didn’t need to discuss; their opinions were unanimous: “The western wasteland is barren and has scarce water sources; it simply cannot support so many troops. Therefore, this army must have come from within Baling territory.”

Did the Baling state not usually want to send more men to the wasteland? Not at all.

The Baling state’s several strongholds on the western wasteland combined could only support fewer than five or six thousand elite troops, and Weicheng was considered relatively prosperous. Unlike Panlong City, which benefits from the unique advantage of being backed by the Chipa Plateau, with fertile plains stretching for a thousand li, allowing it to raise a strong and well-equipped army. The sudden appearance of so many Baling people on the wasteland must mean they were temporarily dispatched from within the country.

“Do you think the new Baling commander, coming with such a large force to surprise General Nanke, is merely trying to defend Weicheng, or avenge Hua Mutuo, or is he greedy for the few merchant goods in Puxi Gully? Every expedition must have a clear justification. If a commander’s objective isn’t clear and firm, how can they command thousands of troops?”

Xiao Maoliang took a shallow breath and understood, “His target is Puxi Gully, or more likely, us!”

They were plotting against Weicheng, but weren’t the Baling people also plotting against them?

“Perhaps he also wishes to meet me,” the man said blandly. “Since the enemy has ambition, why would they be content to hide like a turtle in Weicheng? Whether we divert to aid General Nanke or secretly attack Weicheng, they won’t be absent. Perhaps his plan is the same as mine: to flank and seize the city.”

“Fortunately, the enemy doesn’t know our troop strength.”