Chapter 63

In the study.

The large parchment map was still spread out on the desk. Nan Gongxiong couldn't wait, "What idea do you have? Speak quickly."

Qin Shaozong first pointed at the city of Bairi on the map, then dragged his long finger backward, landing behind Bairi City. "Bairi City's front is Bairi Pass, flanked by high peaks. Therefore, Fan Tianshi's grain depot must be here in the rear."

Both being seasoned on the battlefield, Nan Gongxiong immediately grasped his meaning upon hearing this. "You want to launch a surprise attack on Fan Tianshi's grain depot?"

Qin Shaozong nodded. "Once the grain depot is burned, Yanzhou's army will surely fall into chaos. Then we can take advantage of the momentum to attack, and Bairi Pass can be breached."

Nan Gongxiong's brows furrowed so deeply they could crush a fly.

Burn Yanzhou's grain depot?

How could that be easy? Their depot is in the rear, but just getting past Bairi Pass is daunting enough.

Qin Shaozong first pointed at a location along the Jinshui River where the terrain was gentle. "Dispatch a large army to build ships extensively on the opposite bank of this spot, and use iron chains to link the ships together, forming a pontoon bridge. The shipbuilding should be a grand spectacle, lasting for many days. Fan Tianshi will certainly think we've chosen that place as our breakthrough point."

His dark, long finger slid across the map, pointing at Chijiao Peak. Qin Shaozong said in a deep voice, "Meanwhile, send several thousand soldiers up Chijiao Peak, travel via mountain paths to secretly circle around to their rear, and catch them by surprise."

"Have you gone mad?" Nan Gongxiong was incredulous.

His reaction was intense. "Qin Changgeng, do you know what kind of place that is? Desolate and uninhabited, with no roads! Let me ask you, horses can't go up, so how do you handle provisions? Setting aside the rugged mountain paths, the entire mountain range stretches for hundreds of miles. Especially as the vanguard pushes deeper, can supplies be delivered relying solely on manpower? Once that supply line is cut, it's tantamount to trapping those men to die in the mountains."

"Carve a path through mountains, build bridges across rivers." Qin Shaozong only said these eight words.

Hearing his resolve, Nan Gongxiong gritted his teeth. "Fine, you insist on doing it this way, right? Then I'll handle the shipbuilding. The task of raiding the grain depot is yours."

Qin Shaozong: "Agreed. I will personally lead the surprise attack force."

Although the other had agreed, Nan Gongxiong still had a thousand worries. "Are you really going to do this? Let me tell you, a single misstep with this method could mean a one-way trip. The difficulty of traversing the mountains and the supply issues aside, wild beasts frequently appear in the mountains, and it's extremely easy to lose your way. And think about it, Qin Changgeng, even if you do manage to reach their rear, your men will be utterly exhausted by then, while Fan Tianshi's troops are well-rested and prepared. If you were captured alive..."

If Qin Shaozong were captured alive, the Northlands would be finished.

"Capture me alive?" Qin Shaozong said mockingly, "The one who can capture me alive hasn't been born yet."

Nan Gongxiong wore an expression of mixed exasperation. "Don't be so arrogant. Those who love to talk like that often end up capsizing in a ditch."

Qin Shaozong only sneered.

"Speaking of which, Qin Changgeng, what personal grudge do you have with this Fan Tianshi that you'd risk your life playing this game with him?" Nan Gongxiong asked curiously.

He, Nan Gongxiong, considered himself a hero, but he truly didn't dare lead troops along that Chifeng path. He was unfamiliar with the terrain, the mountain road was long, and he had no confidence at all.

There were many ways to attack a city. The pontoon bridge Qin Changgeng mentioned earlier was also a good plan. Building a bridge across the Jinshui would allow soldiers to cross continuously. Although it would certainly be a bitter fight, it wasn't without chance of victory.

Taking a treacherous mountain path for hundreds of miles was hard enough, but then having to penetrate deep into enemy territory afterward? What was that if not playing with one's life?

Qin Shaozong paused, then scoffed. "What personal grudge could there be? I just find him an eyesore. This matter is settled. I will allocate a portion of the Northlands army to you to assist with shipbuilding, creating the illusion that I am still here. All actions commence tomorrow."

Since he didn't have to take the risk himself, Nan Gongxiong was naturally happy to follow the arrangement.

Chijiao Peak.

A column of soldiers clad in black armor marched along the mountain path. At most, two could walk abreast, one following another, looking from afar like a long, winding snake moving through the mountains.

Silently, unnoticed, they blended completely into nature. Only the birds in the sky or the beasts in the forest sensed the presence of these outsiders in the mountains.

The vast majority of the column carried two packs, one on the chest and one on the back, with water skins hanging from their waists. This kind of load would likely cause an ordinary man to walk for barely an hour or two before collapsing from exhaustion, seeing black spots.

But this elite force was the Xuanxiao Cavalry, the most renowned in the Northlands. Every man was in top physical condition. Although heavily burdened, their stamina far exceeded that of ordinary men; they wouldn't be drenched in sweat after just a short walk.

At the very front of the column were soldiers serving as engineers.

They carried no provisions, only tools. Whenever they encountered difficult terrain, the engineers would carve paths through the mountains, using long knives to cut suitable-sized timber to lay on the ground, building plank roads.

Qin Shaozong was at the head of the column, watching the engineers clear the way ahead. Whenever they encountered a particularly tough spot, he would step forward personally.

The long column wound its way, leaving marks wherever it passed. At regular intervals, high-ranking officers marched with them. All four commanders of the Xuanxiao Cavalry were present, arranged in order from east, south, west, to north along the line.

The marching rations were parched grain and dried meat. When tired, they would take a sip of water and bite into the parched grain. Once slightly recovered, they pressed on without a moment's pause.

As the sun rose and set, and as the vanguard Xuanxiao Cavalry clearing the path were rotated in shifts, the packs on the soldiers' backs gradually lightened.

Hundreds of miles of mountain path, and unknowingly, a small portion was behind them.

Qin Shaozong gazed into the distance. Ahead was an endless expanse of lush green, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Those behind, keep up." The man's voice was low and firm.

North of the Jinshui River.

Nan Gongxiong led the two armies to the riverbank. They set up camp about two miles from the river, where the banners of both the Northlands and Qingzhou fluttered side by side.

Once the camp was established, Nan Gongxiong immediately mobilized the army to build ships.

With great ambition and fanfare, he paid no heed to the Yanzhou soldiers who occasionally came to scout in small boats, clearly unconcerned whether the enemy knew his strategy.

After all, it was a direct assault; knowing or not knowing made little difference.

Every day, Yanzhou soldiers on the opposite bank of the Jinshui climbed to high points to observe across the river, then relayed the intelligence back to the pass.

"Lord Fan, it's the third day. They have been building ships continuously. Besides the ships, scouts also reported seeing them transport large quantities of iron chains and cables to the army," the head scout reported.

Fan Tianshi frowned. "Iron chains and cables? What's the use for those?"

"My lord, could they be planning to link the ships with iron chains? Linking ships with iron chains and then laying planks on top could form a pontoon bridge," Shi Wuji reminded him.

"So they are dead set on breaching the pass," Fan Tianshi sneered, then turned to ask Shi Wuji, "Liuxian, do you have a countermeasure?"

Shi Wuji stroked his beard. "Though the allied forces of the Northern Lands and Qingzhou are fierce, there is only one pontoon bridge. As long as we destroy the bridge, unless they fill the Jin River with their own bodies, they absolutely cannot cross. As for destroying the bridge, that's not difficult either. Find a group of soldiers skilled at swimming to dive into the river, bore holes in the bottoms of their boats, and then attack with fire."

Fan Tianshi immediately brightened up. "Liuxian, you are truly resourceful and wise. Good, let's do it that way!"

"However, my lord, it is currently summer with abundant rainfall. Moreover, their pontoon bridge does not stretch for miles, making it relatively easier to put out fires. A fire attack is not a sure thing," Shi Wuji added.

Fan Tianshi's smile did not diminish. "If heavy rain falls then, it won't be a problem. Isn't there still the plan to bore holes in the boats? And heavy rain will certainly churn the river waters more fiercely. Regardless, it's a two-pronged approach. If they dare to come, we will surely make them fall head over heels and feed the fishes."

Setting aside boring holes and fire attacks, just that several dozen meters of steep slope alone would be enough to give them a hard time. By then, shooting arrows from above or rolling down giant boulders would certainly block their advance.

Unable to advance, and with no boats to retreat to, we will kill as many as come!

After the discussion, he gave the order, and the entire army quickly began preparing tung oil.

...

Fan Residence, Guest Courtyard.

An elegant sandalwood incense, blended to calm the mind, wafted through the refined side room. Amidst the haze of the fragrance, rhythmic knocking sounds came from within.

Listening carefully, the sound resembled several copper coins colliding with a shell.

Suddenly, the knocking stopped.

It turned out the copper coins from the tortoise shell had all fallen onto the ground.

Diting, kneeling on a prayer mat, lowered his gaze to look at the scene before him, quickly combining it with the previous five casts to form a complete six-line hexagram.

His expression gradually darkened.

Great misfortune.

As if unwilling to accept it, Diting put down this black tortoise shell, stood up, and took another tortoise shell from a chest in the room.

This time he did not shake copper coins. Instead, he took a small, red-hot iron rod and pierced it into the tortoise shell. Black fire patterns rapidly spread across the shell, branching and forking at certain nodes.

After a few breaths, the black fire patterns stopped, imprinted on the tortoise shell like a tree with only branches.

It was still great misfortune.

Diting's pupils contracted slightly. He abruptly stood up and said to the attendant outside, "Bring me the map of the Bai Ri City area."

The map was quickly delivered and spread out on the table.

Diting stared at the map, his gaze moving from Bai Ri City to Bai Ri Pass, then to the Jin River, to the nearby Red Horn Peak, and finally settling on the Yanzhou army's camp.

"Sir, is there something wrong?" the attendant asked.

Diting pondered for a moment. "Do you know, besides entering through Bai Ri Pass, where else the allied forces could come from?"

The attendant had heard about Fan of Yanzhou's massive preparations of tung oil. Recalling the heavy troops stationed at the Jin River bank, he replied, "There is one section of the Jin River with relatively gentle terrain, which could serve as an entry point. But please rest assured, sir, Lord Fan is well-prepared for this. I heard he has collected a great deal of tung oil and ordered men to quarry stones from the mountains."

Diting fell into thought, looking at the map again.

Both the Jin River side and the pass were heavily guarded and fully prepared. Logically, it shouldn't be like this...

Could it be that the Northern Lands and Qingzhou are not coming from these two places?

If not, that rules out the east and north, leaving the west and south. The west is Yanzhou, the rear base camp. Unless they have grown wings, it's absolutely impossible for them to attack from the west.

Then it's the south?

"Is it possible to march through this continuous stretch of mountains?" Diting asked.

The attendant instinctively said, "Impossible. This area is desolate and uninhabited. It stretches for hundreds of miles, all mountains, with no paths to take."

But after speaking, the attendant added, "Sir, I don't understand matters of military campaigns. I suggest you go ask Lord Fan."

Diting picked up the silver-white mask from the table and put it on. "You're right."

...

"Impossible!" Fan Tianshi flatly denied.

His second son, Fan Zhongmin, was also in the room. Unlike his father's resolute tone tinged with a hint of mockery, he took the initiative to explain to Diting.

Fan Zhongmin said, "Sir Diting, you may not know this, but Red Horn Peak is not just a single mountain peak. It stretches continuously; you could call it a mountain range. The terrain here is terrifyingly high, with rugged mountain paths and sheer cliffs—so steep even monkeys would despair at climbing them. It's extremely difficult just to travel through, let alone carrying military supplies."

Finally, Fan Zhongmin shook his head. "That's why Father says it's impossible."

Diting: "Better safe than sorry. Why not station a troop at the foot of the Red Horn Peak mountains to guard against any surprise troops coming through the mountain paths?"

But Fan Tianshi said, "The foothill line of Red Horn Peak is extremely long. Stationing troops to guard it is no easy task. If any spot is missed, it's completely the same as having no guard at all. And as my son said, this mountain area is a death zone, desolate and uninhabited. The enemy absolutely cannot come through here. Rather than wasting a large force on such a useless endeavor, it's better to use the troops to prepare incendiary materials."

Diting wanted to say more.

Fan Tianshi saw his intention: "There's no need for you to worry about military matters, sir."

Diting sighed.

...

The dusk gradually faded, night fell, and deep black spread across the entire sky. When night first began, there was still a bright moon, but as time passed, the moon gradually hid.

In this utterly silent night, however, faint rustling sounds came from the mountains of Red Horn Peak.

Qin Shaozong pushed aside the forest leaves, looking down at the camp below with its glowing fires. The man's brown eyes now seemed tinged with a bit of that firelight, reflecting a wolf- or tiger-like dark green.

Qin Shaozong's eyesight was excellent. From a not-too-distant stretch, he could see many large ceramic vats piled up in the camp.

What were those?

"My lord, when do we act?" Feng Feng rubbed his hands, almost unable to wait.

Heaven knew what kind of hellish days they had lived these past few days. Feng Feng felt he himself had lost weight from the ordeal. But it was all worth it, especially now that they had crept right beside the enemy camp, and the Yanzhou army remained completely unaware.

"Not yet. Wait until the hour of the Tiger," Qin Shaozong said in a low voice. "Pass the order down. Have everyone rest where they are. Act on my command at the hour of the Tiger."

The guard left Qin Shaozong's side, walking down the line, soon spreading this command throughout the serpentine column.

The snake in the mountains coiled up, flicking its crimson tongue, quietly waiting for the most opportune moment.

Time passed bit by bit. The night grew deep.

...

Inside the Yanzhou army camp.

A guard yawned, unbearably drowsy. These past few days, they had been preparing tung oil non-stop, moving who-knows-how-many heavy jars.

Busy during the day, and taking turns on night watch duty—it was truly exhausting.

"Endure it a bit longer. These hard days won't last much longer. I heard the boats from Qingzhou and the Northern Lands are almost ready."

"Hah, they're planning a fight to the death. But is Bai Ri Pass so easy to attack? By then, a splash of hot oil, a roll of giant boulders, and arrows shot from above—even if they had ten lives, it wouldn't be enough to waste."

"I hope I can face them when the time comes, and finally take Qin Shaozong's head. Then I won't have to worry for the rest of my life."

After chatting for a few more sentences, the two men began to yawn again.

Suddenly, one of them turned to look sideways, only to see the mountain range pitch black, the night merging into his eyes, making it impossible to see anything clearly. He murmured, "I think I heard some sounds."

"Probably a tiger hunting in the mountains, no need to..."

The words that followed were left unfinished as he suddenly saw his companion's face change dramatically. The firelight illuminated his bloodless, utterly terrified face, as if a vengeful ghost had seized him by the neck.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" the man asked.

His companion shouted, so frightened that his voice even cracked at the end, "We're under attack!"

The other man's mind jolted, and he instinctively turned his head. What met his eyes was a face with sharp, distinct features and profound depth.

Long eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a high nose, and thin lips. A small break at the end of the man's left eyebrow resembled a cold blade, fractured yet still exuding a murderous aura.

The ring-pommel sword in his hand reflected a chill colder than ice. The cold light flashed, tracing a terrifying arc of crimson.

Thud-thud-thud. Something rolled to the ground.

Qin Shaozong led the charge, spearheading the assault into the Yanzhou army camp. After killing two guards in a row, he sniffed the air and then laughed heartily, "Well played, Fan Tianshi, thinking you're so clever, just begging for death. Feng Feng, Qiao Wangfei, take your men and go douse their army's oil stores. I'm burning this camp down."

"Yes, sir!"

The Northern Army descended like divine soldiers. Combined with the deep night, when sleep was at its heaviest, they completely stunned the Yanzhou troops.

Fan Tianshi happened to be staying in the camp that night. He was having a sweet dream where he had severed the heads of Qin Shaozong and Nan Gongxiong, bringing all the lands of the North and Qingzhou under his control. The sounds of killing drifted into his tent, piercing through his sleep like needles and jolting him awake.

The noise outside was relentless, wave upon wave growing louder. Through the gaps in the tent flap lifted by the wind, he could see the blazing light of fires.

Without even bothering to dress properly, Fan Tianshi hurried out. Before his eyes, flames shot towards the sky, and the camp was in utter chaos.

Shouts, curses, pleas for help, commands, and screams—all kinds of sounds mingled together, like a hundred demons parading through a marketplace, both cacophonous and utterly chilling.

"How could this happen? Where did these troops come from? How is there no warning at all? Are the sentries all dead?!" Fan Tianshi's eyes nearly burst from their sockets in rage.

A junior officer rushed over, his face covered in dust and a deep bloody gash on his right shoulder. "Lord Fan, they didn't come through the Bai Ri Pass. They must have taken the Chijiao Peak mountain path. I... I think I just saw the Marquis of Wu'an..."

Fan Tianshi's face turned deathly pale. "Qin Shaozong is here? Wasn't he building ships?"

He needed no one to answer. At this moment, Fan Tianshi finally realized he had been deceived. The shipbuilding was a feint; the real plan was to take the shortcut over Chijiao Peak!

"Let's go! Gather the men and retreat with me!" Fan Tianshi nearly ground his silver teeth to dust.

Crash.

A pottery vat was smashed open by the hilt of Feng Feng's blade, and tung oil inside gushed out.

The vats were too large and cumbersome to move. Feng Feng led a squad to raid the cooks' quarters, seizing a pile of pottery basins. Using basins to carry the oil was light and fast, and they could still fight if needed.

Splash—

Basin after basin of oil was splashed onto the military tents.

"Light them up!" Feng Feng cried excitedly.

A brazier used for illumination was kicked over in front of a tent. A serpent of fire erupted, rapidly climbing the tent and swallowing it whole.

The greedy fire serpent was not satisfied. After devouring several tents and growing into a fire dragon, it continued its rampage through the small camp.

"The grain storehouse is on fire! Quick, put it out!"

"There's too much oil in the camp, we can't extinguish it. Where's Lord Fan? What are Lord Fan's orders?"

"Someone has already been sent to find him, but no command has come back yet."

Qin Shaozong killed another man with a backhanded strike and continued pressing towards the center of the camp. The commander's tent was easy to identify: the largest one in the center, with a command flag planted at its peak.

From the moment the Xuanxiao Cavalry launched their surprise attack, Qin Shaozong's goal had been singular—

Find Fan Tianshi.

Capture the ringleader, and the rest will collapse. Kill Fan Tianshi first, and the Yanzhou army would naturally crumble completely.

The burly man charged through the camp, his movements as swift and fierce as a tiger's, the sword in his hand like the claws of a ferocious beast, cutting down all who stood in his path. Overcoming every obstacle, Qin Shaozong, gripping a blood-soaked blade, arrived beside the main tent.

Just then, a figure surrounded by several others crashed into Qin Shaozong's line of sight.

The man in the middle wore plain, unremarkable clothing, even donning the most common soldier's outer garment. But Qin Shaozong, who had seen Fan Tianshi before, recognized him instantly—someone was trying to slip away unnoticed.

A fallen soldier's bow and arrows lay scattered nearby. Qin Shaozong sheathed his sword and picked up the longbow.

He drew the bowstring to its full extent, aiming at Fan Tianshi.

Just as he was about to release the arrow, as if remembering something, the man shifted his aim slightly, avoiding a vital spot, and only then let the arrow fly.

Whoosh—

The long arrow bore the force to split the wind, trailing the fire dragon's brazen arrogance, and embedded itself accurately in the figure ahead.

Amidst the exclamations of shock ahead, Qin Shaozong casually tossed the longbow aside and advanced once more, sword in hand.

Blood soaked this patch of earth. Yanzhou soldiers fell one after another until, finally, their morale shattered, and deserters began to appear.

Qin Shaozong gave his ring-pommel sword a flick. A heavy line of blood, mixed with bits of flesh, drew a long streak on the ground. He looked down at Fan Tianshi, whose face was the color of gold paper, and chuckled lowly, "Fan of Yanzhou, we meet again."

Agony shot through Fan Tianshi's shoulder blade. From the corner of his eye, he saw his personal guards all fallen. Knowing escape was impossible, he simply closed his eyes. "My defeat at your hands today is due to ill fortune. Make it quick."

But Qin Shaozong only laughed. "Fan of Yanzhou, you are a grand prize. It would be a waste for you to die by my hand."