Chapter 417: The Outcome Is Decided

Dawn was only beginning to break when a bedraggled column of men and horses fled across the fields, cut straight onto the official road, and continued their escape.

Zhou Shouxian sat in the saddle with a livid face. He looked around at the men accompanying him. Both men and horses were already exhausted. Jin Wuguang, Sect Leader of Zhenling Academy, and Cao Yuer, Pavilion Master of Feihua Pavilion, wore equally taut expressions. Their faces were exceedingly ugly.

Only a few days and nights had passed, yet everything had dissolved into chaos. The war had been thrown into such disorder that it could no longer be commanded.

No one had expected the five lower commanderies to disregard the fate of hundreds of thousands of troops and send the bulk of their cavalry, led by the Yingyang and Wulie Guards, straight at Zhou Shouxian. Tianyu Sect, Liuxian Sect, Fuyun Sect, and Lingxiu Mountain had concentrated large numbers of cultivators to accompany them and provide support.

Once he learned the enemy had assembled so many cultivators, Zhou Shouxian could only withdraw temporarily rather than meet them head-on. But the enemy force was almost entirely cavalry, forcing his side to order its main troops to block them directly while Zhou Shouxian withdrew first with a smaller contingent.

He was still in the middle of that urgent retreat when disastrous news arrived: the hundred thousand troops left to intercept the enemy had been routed.

The cultivators of Zhenling Academy and Feihua Pavilion had likewise been unable to withstand the combined assault of the four sects under Tianyu Sect, suffering heavy casualties. Unable to hold, the surviving cultivators of the two sects had been forced to scatter and flee.

The four sects did not pursue the fleeing cultivators. They continued following the Yingyang and Wulie Guards, cooperating with the army as it relentlessly chased Zhou Shouxian.

By now, Zhou Shouxian regretted his earlier deployment bitterly enough for his guts to turn green. He regretted placing his great army forward. He regretted hiding behind it. The enemy's elite troops had charged straight through, forcing layer after layer of his forward defenses to turn back and rush to reinforce him, while the enemy's following forces exploited the openings all along the way, killing, plundering, and burning the baggage of his defensive armies.

By the time he understood what was happening and grasped the enemy's intention, it was already too late. The war had barely begun, yet the provisions for hundreds of thousands of troops were already nearly gone. It was almost a joke. How was this war supposed to continue? Was there even any need to keep fighting?

Then again, from the beginning he had never intended to stake everything in a desperate battle with the enemy. Otherwise, why would he have hidden behind his own army? Had he not believed that staying behind the army would be safer and make retreat easier?

Safe it had been, but he had never imagined the enemy would fight like this. He had never seen such a method before. An army of several hundred thousand had actually cast aside its baggage and marched without even carrying provisions, charging straight in like this. Who had ever seen hundreds of thousands go to war without bringing grain? It was treating the lives of several hundred thousand soldiers like a game.

Yet the facts proved it was no game. Someone truly dared to wage war this way. Someone had studied his defensive deployment, struck directly at his weakness in a single blow, and done it ruthlessly, steadily, and precisely, leaving Zhou Shouxian wanting to weep without tears.

The grim-faced Jin Wuguang and Cao Yuer could still vaguely remember what Zhou Shouxian had said before the fighting began: they did not need to win. As long as they could stalemate the enemy, they would have won. His Majesty would handle the rest through the three major sects. The imperial court was powerful, and the three major sects faced pressures of their own. They could not exhaust the entire State of Yan for the sake of a Tianyu Sect that could not take Nanzhou after a prolonged campaign. When that time came, Tianyu Sect would be finished.

At the time, the two had found the reasoning persuasive. Yet now, scarcely after the war had begun, everything was already in complete chaos. Did this look like a situation that could be dragged into a stalemate?

A Goldenwing descended through the morning light. Soon a general galloped forward and reported to Zhou Shouxian, "My lord, the scouts report that the enemy troops and horses are exhausted. They have stopped pursuing us and halted to rest."

Cao Yuer smoothed the sash at her waist after the wind had blown it askew. She said to Zhou Shouxian, "There is some distance between us and the enemy. They cannot catch us immediately. Our men and horses are just as exhausted. We should rest for a while as well."

Zhou Shouxian immediately asked the general, "How far are we from Dingzhou?"

"About eighty li."

Zhou Shouxian immediately called loudly to everyone, "We're almost at Dingzhou. Brothers, endure a little longer. Once we reach Dingzhou, we'll be safe. The rebels won't dare fight their way into Dingzhou!"

The exhausted column therefore continued onward. Their pace was not fast, and they did not enter Dingzhou territory until dusk. Dingzhou had already deployed troops along the border. When word arrived that Zhou Shouxian was coming, Xue Xiao, Provincial Inspector of Dingzhou, who was personally overseeing the frontier defenses, hurried out to receive him. The two provincial inspectors dismounted to meet one another.

Xue Xiao seized Zhou Shouxian by the arm and demanded anxiously, "Brother Zhou, why have you retreated into my Dingzhou so quickly?"

Zhou Shouxian was too ashamed to answer.

Xue Xiao pressed again, "Brother Zhou, where are the two hundred thousand troops Dingzhou secretly sent to support you?"

Zhou Shouxian turned and looked at the men who had followed him back. He had brought only three thousand men with him, the three thousand cavalry of his central army guard. Every one of them was exhausted and bedraggled. He had left everyone else behind to block the pursuers. Otherwise, he feared it would have been difficult for him to escape.

Xue Xiao stared in disbelief. "Brother Zhou, it's only been a few days and nights. Eight hundred thousand troops! Don't tell me they've all been destroyed already? Even if they were eight hundred thousand pigs, the rebels couldn't slaughter them this quickly!"

"Most of the eight hundred thousand are still there..." Zhou Shouxian began, then found himself unable to continue.

Xue Xiao was shocked all over again. "If the troops are still there, then why has Brother Zhou, as commander-in-chief, abandoned the army and retreated into Dingzhou?"

Zhou Shouxian truly did not know how to explain it. Judging from all the battle reports he had received, most of those eight hundred thousand troops really did remain. There were at least six hundred thousand men left. But all of them had been thrown into chaos.

He, their commander-in-chief, had fled. More importantly, he had fled too quickly. Looking back now, even he could scarcely imagine how severe a blow that would deal to the morale of the troops under him.

He had escaped so quickly that the forces below could not catch up. They had also abandoned their provisions. Now they were searching everywhere for food while being harassed by rebel troops. Several hundred thousand men were scattered in complete disorder and would be difficult to gather again any time soon...

At a place backed by mountains and facing water, military intelligence from every direction poured continuously into the rebel army's central command tent, while orders were sent out just as quickly. Peng Youzai and the other senior members of Tianyu Sect stood nearby, watching Meng Shanming work.

A general burst into the tent and cupped his hands. "Report! Zhou Shouxian has retreated into Dingzhou."

Meng Shanming immediately turned toward the map. Luo An swiftly pivoted his wheelchair so he could face it.

Meng Shanming asked, "How have the Yingyang and Wulie Guards recovered?"

Feng Lingbo answered, "They were ordered to stop the pursuit earlier and have rested for one full day."

Meng Shanming took the command pointer and indicated a sizable enemy force that had gathered along the route, replenished its provisions from a city, and was now withdrawing toward Dingzhou.

"Order the Yingyang and Wulie Guards south to intercept this fleeing force." He turned toward Peng Youzai. "The accompanying cultivators must concentrate their strength and kill the enemy commander. The enemy has eighty thousand troops. Can you do it?"

Peng Youzai nodded. "We should be able to."

"Don't tell me 'should.'" Meng Shanming's voice hardened. "I want a definite answer."

Peng Youzai hesitated. With so many troops present, the danger to cultivators would be substantial, and the enemy commander was protected by many cultivators of his own.

In the end, he gritted his teeth. "Fine. Whatever the cost, we'll take him down for Marshal Meng!"

Meng Shanming nodded, then looked to Feng Lingbo. "Have the Yingyang and Wulie Guards make a feigned attack. Once the accompanying cultivators kill the enemy commander, immediately abandon the interception. If the enemy still does not collapse after its commander dies, circle to the rear and pursue them all the way."

"Remember: pursue and kill only. Do not launch a frontal assault. Most of those eighty thousand men are running on two legs and cannot move quickly. Our cavalry has the advantage. Harass them constantly, slow their march, and deny them rest."

The pointer tapped another position on the map.

"At the same time, order Meilin Sheng to gather his troops and move north. Once his forces arrive to block them, close the encirclement in one stroke and force their surrender. If they refuse, annihilate them where they stand."

"Zhou Shouxian has already fled into Dingzhou. We can begin drawing the net closed across Nanzhou. Order every force and sect to detach men to hold the key routes throughout the region. Force the enemy's scattered troops to find no easy road out. Make those stragglers and deserters take mountain paths and broken terrain, wearing down their morale and strength until they are utterly exhausted and unable to regroup easily. That will make the later mop-up far easier."

"Order the main forces to concentrate locally around the cities and demand that the enemy troops sheltering inside open the gates and surrender. Wherever a city opens its gates and submits, our troops are to enter immediately, take control, and rest. For cities that refuse to surrender, surround them for now and do not attack. Let the army rest outside until the baggage trains arrive. Once the soldiers have eaten their fill and recovered their strength, concentrate our forces and take the cities one by one. Do not attack several at once. If several assaults bog down simultaneously, the backlash could hurt us badly. At this stage, we must advance steadily and fight securely."

"Yes!"

After confirming there were no other instructions, Feng Lingbo acknowledged the order and swiftly began issuing military commands. Meng Shanming set down the pointer. Weariness showed on his face.

Peng Youzai immediately stepped forward with genuine concern. "Marshal Meng, you haven't closed your eyes for another day and night. Shouldn't you rest first?"

Meng Shanming said, "As long as these orders are followed, the panicked troops Zhou Shouxian left behind will no longer be able to gather again. Once we occupy the cities of the six upper commanderies, the overall situation in Nanzhou will be decided. The remaining mop-up will no longer require this old man's chatter."

He raised a hand slightly. Luo An pushed his wheelchair away. Shang Chaozong and the others followed. Out of respect, everyone else emerged from the tent to see them off.

Watching the figure in the wheelchair recede, Peng Youzai sighed. "Truly an extraordinary talent who can devise strategy and control a battlefield from within the command tent. A famous general of his generation indeed lives up to his reputation. What a pity Emperor Shang Jianxiong of Yan cut off one of his own arms. Otherwise, with a man like this in his hands, where would Tianyu Sect ever have found an opportunity?"

Not even in his dreams had Peng Youzai imagined that this so-called swift, decisive campaign could be swift to such a degree. In only a few days, Meng Shanming had shattered the backbone of Zhou Shouxian's eight-hundred-thousand-man army and effectively settled the fate of Nanzhou into Tianyu Sect's hands.

As for Zhou Shouxian, he was no longer worth worrying about. He had fled to Dingzhou with only a few thousand men and was already finished. He could no longer stir up any waves. Yet a trace of regret lay within Peng Youzai's sigh. With Marshal Meng possessing such ability, Tianyu Sect would nevertheless have no opportunity to send him back onto another battlefield. Once Nanzhou was taken, Tianyu Sect would not initiate another war. Its strength did not permit it.

At minimum, it would need another fifty years, until Tianyu Sect's strength accumulated to an entirely different level. But by then, even Peng Youzai himself might not still be alive, much less Marshal Meng. After this campaign, this famous general of a generation could only be left like a bright pearl buried beneath dust. Feng Lingbo's expression was complicated as he watched Meng Shanming depart. At first, he had been somewhat dissatisfied with the man.

Yet after personally witnessing Meng Shanming command the war, Feng Lingbo had truly been left in awe. He was convinced from the heart. He had discovered that the difference between himself and Meng Shanming was not small at all. It was the difference between Heaven and Earth.

Meng Shanming's initial strategy had looked like chaotic fighting, yet there had been order inside the chaos. Every advance and withdrawal, every movement of troops, had its basis. There had been logic to when each force rested and when it pressed ahead. Several hundred thousand troops moved through his hands as naturally as flowing water. With a few turns, he had left Zhou Shouxian's eight hundred thousand men dizzy and disordered.

Feng Lingbo had no choice but to admit that even if the same strategy had been placed in his hands, he could never have executed it with the same effect. He could not have forced so many of Zhou Shouxian's troops to throw away their baggage and then led them around by the nose. The depth of Meng Shanming's command ability was something he could scarcely hope to match.

[End of Chapter 417]