Chapter 2063: Land that cannot be seized, enemies that cannot be defeated

King Ya could barely believe his ears. "Not a single city?" What exactly had the Ya army been fighting for during those more than twenty days of intense combat?

It was only then that the Ge brothers admitted the enemy general's tactical genius. His strategies had largely compensated for the Dragon God Army's shortcomings in troop quality and combat effectiveness, even exploiting opportunities brilliantly. Otherwise, the Dragon God Army's casualty figures would have been far higher.

What truly baffled them, however, was the Dragon God Army itself. This army's weaknesses remained constant: they were clearly green recruits with little combat experience. Against Ya's elite forces, they should have crumbled and scattered, just like previous Blazing Gold armies.

Yet, they didn't.

These soldiers had no other remarkable abilities, just two defining traits: First, they were highly disciplined; second, they were fearless in the face of death. Unlike other armies, the Dragon God Army exhibited almost no common traits like laxity or cunning. Orders from commanders flowed smoothly and efficiently through their ranks. In this regard, at least, the Dragon God Army's training was remarkably successful.

Ge Yan described the Dragon God Army as "clumsy but fanatical." Despite their lack of combat experience, their will was unyielding, and they faced death without fear. Even when outmatched in battle, they would lose without crumbling and retreat without dispersing.

He himself had been attacked by several Dragon God soldiers. Though all the enemies were eventually killed, one of them, with bared teeth, had savagely bitten his neck, missing his carotid artery by mere millimeters. Ge Yan had personally stabbed this soldier to death, but his personal guards couldn't pry open the man's jaw. They ended up tearing a small piece of flesh and skin away, so tightly clenched were his teeth. In the end, they had no choice but to knock out his teeth one by one. This scrawny soldier, even at the cost of his life, was determined to tear a piece of flesh from the enemy general.

Ge Yan had fought wars for years, but he had never witnessed such suicidal determination. It was as if these Blazing Gold people harbored a deep-seated hatred for them, wishing only to die together. Bear in mind, the border they had invaded was an uninhabited wilderness of barren mountains, offering no value beyond the potential for a logging camp. In winter and spring, it was miserably cold and muddy. If the Blazing Gold army had retreated twenty or thirty *li*, their operations wouldn't have been affected at all, and they could have still received continuous supplies from their rear.

Yet, they stubbornly refused. They insisted on holding the border line firmly, refusing to yield an inch. What was so important about defending such a vast stretch of wasteland?

Meanwhile, far behind the front lines, in Blazing Gold's western territories, an endless stream of recruits continued to arrive, replacing every soldier lost in battle. On the day the fighting began, the Dragon God Army numbered 100,000. After nearly a month of combat, despite an average casualty ratio of one to five, their numbers had actually swollen to 130,000! In stark contrast, the Ge brothers' army, which had originally comprised 30,000 men, was now reduced to less than 21,000!

Twenty thousand against 130,000—the strain was immense. And don't forget, the battlefield itself was a brutal grinder. Those who survived rapidly gained combat experience and skill. Was Emperor Jiuyou sending wave after wave of new recruits to the west to train them?

Ya was renowned for its elite soldiers and formidable generals, but by definition, "elite" troops were never numerous. These 30,000 elite soldiers constituted the Ge brothers' core force. Losing even a few hundred would cause them immense pain, let alone over 9,000 casualties in just one month! What good was even the most formidable general if he had no soldiers left to command? Ya boasted numerous strong generals. If the Ge brothers continued to suffer such heavy losses among their elite troops, how would they compete with other great generals in the future?

Ya also dispatched spies to infiltrate the towns and villages behind the western Blazing Gold front lines to gather intelligence. They discovered long queues of eligible men at recruiting stations. The recruiting officers were selective, rejecting those who were too thin, only sons, or under seventeen years old. Local militia groups across the region were also training intensely. New recruits received crash courses there before being sent to the front.

This news sent the Ge brothers' spirits plummeting. They had previously fought Blazing Gold's local warlords and bandit armies, who had to resort to conscription to fill their ranks. Whenever recruiting officers entered a village, everyone would scatter, leaving only the old, the weak, women, and children. How many of those could possibly have been volunteers? Yet, with the Dragon God Army, everyone was eager to enlist.

It was truly baffling. Did these supposedly foolish natives not comprehend the high casualty rates on the front lines? Or had the Dragon God deceived them, promising imminent victory on the western front? After all, deceiving people into battle was not uncommon in Ya, having happened countless times before.

The spies also questioned locals and discovered that these areas had all encountered the Black Armored Army during the first phase of the Dragon God War. Some had then suffered even more brutal depredations and enslavement from the Blazing Gold elite, before fighting back to reclaim their freedom and successfully overcoming their oppressors. Two brutal trials, multiple hardships, and a hard-won victory had instilled in them a disregard for life and death. These once-feeble commoners, transformed into soldiers, seemed like different people entirely, suddenly unleashing immense willpower and strength.

Now, the ball was in the Ge brothers' court: How should they proceed with the war?

War required swift, decisive action. After a month of stalemate, during which they had failed to take even a few hills, the Ya soldiers' initial contempt for the Dragon God Army had turned into helpless frustration. Comrades fell one after another, yet the enemy seemed limitless, constantly replenished, and appeared to be growing in number with each passing day. "When will this war ever end?" they wondered. Their morale plummeted, and their spiritual energy waned. In contrast, the enemy seemed invigorated, fighting with increasing zeal and growing more experienced with every clash.

As the war entered its second month, the disparity in casualty rates between the two sides continued to shrink, dropping from one to five to just over one to three. The Ya army's logistical strain also mounted. The daily expenditure on food, medical supplies, weapons, armor, and arrows was substantial, all needing constant supply from the rear. After discussing their options, the Ge brothers concluded that the resistance was too formidable; they had no choice but to request reinforcements.

Yet, even as the western front of the Dragon God territories was embroiled in a brutal, bloody conflict, significant changes were unfolding elsewhere.

In the Imperial study, within the royal capital of Mou.

From a Boshan censer, a solitary, straight plume of green smoke rose. A colorful butterfly from the garden fluttered in, but, catching the scent of the smoke, it quietly flew away.

Emperor Mou reclined on a couch, propping his chin with one hand, as he listened to his minister's report. His eyes were half-closed, giving the impression he was half-asleep, and he hadn't stirred for quite some time. Yet, the officials knew he absorbed every word; it was simply the emperor's preferred relaxed posture.

Today's small, closed-door meeting included only seven or eight ministers, and the discussion revolved around miscellaneous matters. After listening for a while, Emperor Mou couldn't help but shift his position and yawn. He felt sleepy. Nothing seemed interesting.

Seeing that the next item on the agenda was yet another budget allocation, he languidly raised a hand. "That's enough," he said. The official, who was about to launch into a lengthy speech, immediately fell silent.

"Very well, that will be all for today," Emperor Mou said, gesturing casually to a few individuals. "You few stay."

The officials, accustomed to his capriciousness, bowed and withdrew. Only four individuals remained. It was then that Emperor Mou gestured to Wang Haojing, the Right Minister of Ceremonies. "You've met the envoy sent by He Xiao, haven't you?"