CHAPTER 305: CHAPTER 12 CHARGE!_1

Zheng Fan clutched the armor of the barbarian soldier in front of him, frequently glancing over his shoulder. He was filled with rage, knowing clearly that the hundred cavalrymen led by Huo Kuang were probably not coming out of there alive.

Perhaps, this was the true cruelty of war, a back-and-forth exchange where I could strike you, but you could strike back just as easily.

This was not a game. In a game, once a round was over, you could simply replenish your troop strength by resupplying for a few turns.

It was not that troop strength could not be restored, but the pain of helplessly watching as one’s own men fell into the trap, losing his initial investment, was simply unbearable.

To be a bit more sentimental, these were living people; people with whom he had spoken just at dusk, promising to bring them back, to earn as much military merit and stay alive as long as possible for them.

The high spirits that had buoyantly carried them here were now utterly scattered by this harsh turn of events.

This was perhaps a mind obstacle, something that every rookie must experience. Zheng Fan thought he was mentally prepared, but when the situation actually transpired before his eyes, he realized that his mental preparations were still too weak.

At this moment, Zheng Fan began to understand the princess’s strategy of using more than two thousand civilian men as bait to achieve her military goals. Since it was inevitable that men would die, then let some die proactively, just to seize the military opportunity.

Zheng Fan had been like a small-time business owner from a humble background. Previously, he had run small businesses with small capital, earning little but with a sense of security. Each day, after closing his stall, he would sit contentedly on his bed, puffing a cigarette and picking his toes while counting his money.

He had longed for the flamboyance of being a big boss, throwing money around, but when he finally had a chance to show off, he realized that his mentality was not in the right place.

He couldn’t afford to lose. Couldn’t afford a deficit. Ruthless master—that was how Zheng Fan defined himself.

However, though reason could be controlled, emotion, on the other hand, was beyond his grasp.

Until, Zheng Fan looked back again, and realized that the Wolf Land Soldiers were running full tilt, howling AWOOOO! as they pursued.

Zheng Fan’s eyes narrowed. His heart skipped a beat. But he quickly turned his gaze towards the front, where Liang Cheng was. He did not give any orders, did not overstep his authority, because he believed that Liang Cheng would make the correct choice.

Professional matters should be left to the professionals.

At this moment, only one thought remained in Zheng Fan’s mind: They caused me such a loss! Then I... I will destroy them!

Thanks to Liang Cheng’s timely order to retreat, other than Huo Kuang’s unit of a hundred cavalrymen who were trapped in the city, the rest of the cavalry did not suffer too much damage.

Compared to Zheng Fan’s distress, Liang Cheng was the calmest among them. This was war. Veterans fall, new soldiers take their place. This was a most ordinary thing.

This defeat was merely due to bad luck.

In war, one could never expect the goddess of fortune to favor them all the time.

The infiltration, the capture of the city, and the opening of the city gates all went well, but who would have expected there to be so many Wolf Land Soldiers hidden inside.

As for whether they had been careless, failing to scout properly beforehand, it was pointless to dwell on it. After all, this was a surprise attack, inherently risky. Nor could they possibly clear the situation completely before entering the city. Firstly, it would increase the risk of the infiltrators being discovered by the city guards. Secondly, if there was a delay and day broke, what damn good would a surprise attack be then?

As far as Liang Cheng himself was concerned, the loss of only Huo Kuang’s unit was not significant, as he still had nearly 1,400 cavalrymen by his side.

Even better, with Huo Kuang, the head of the Huo Family in the Green Willow Fortress, dead, it would be easier for him to control the remaining members of the Huo Family.

Such a thought was rather dark, but it was undeniable that historic instances were abundant wherein one was able to eliminate dissenters with the enemy’s blade.

With the death of Huo Kuang, the remaining six hundred Huo Family members, now leaderless, would soon be divided, disintegrated, and absorbed. Soon, their most defining feature would no longer be that they were from the Huo Family, but rather that they were soldiers of Green Willow Fortress.

However, the corner of Liang Cheng’s eye glanced at Zuo Jiqian, who was galloping beside him on his left.

Zuo Jiqian didn’t realize that an ancient great Zombie had looked at him at that moment; otherwise, he surely would have been terrified.

AWOOOO!!!!!

It was at that moment that Liang Cheng heard the long howl from behind.

He turned around to look back, and was taken aback.

What did he see?

He saw that the Wolf Land Soldiers had actually chased them out of the city gates, out into the open.

He saw a group of infantrymen chasing cavalrymen?

This situation, this development, made Liang Cheng suddenly doubt himself.

Could it be... a trap?

Because the adversary’s move was something Liang Cheng had trouble understanding.

It was like a math whiz in a competition; after stumbling in the first round, he suddenly found his opponent writing that one plus one equaled three in the second round.

But shortly after, Liang Cheng felt a sense of relief, for he now understood.

The espionage war between the Qian State and the Yan State had long begun even before their troops officially crossed swords. Thanks to the trade relationships along the Silk Road, both sides had planted countless spies in each other’s territories.