Chapter 885: I'm Afraid It's Too Late

Yan Li's talk of showing hospitality as host was merely a pretext. The truth was that some matters were beyond his authority to decide, and in any case, certain decisions could only be made after contacting Sect Leader Gong Lince at the front.

Only after Gong Lince's reply came back did Zijin Cave truly accept Niu Youdao. Yan Li and the other senior figures who had remained behind immediately arranged a secret place for him, unwilling to let anyone know that Niu Youdao was hiding inside Zijin Cave. They even concealed it from most of Zijin Cave's own disciples.

Along with Gong Lince's reply came another piece of news.

The final decisive battle between Yan and Zhao had finally begun!

Zhao's army was the first to attack.

Once again, Zhao staked everything on a desperate effort, exhausting every means at its disposal in an attempt to break through the encirclement.

But under Meng Shanming's personal deployment, the Yan army and Zhao's rebel forces joined hands to hold the critical routes against every attempted breakout, locking Zhao's army firmly inside a single region.

When Zhao's assault failed and its forces began withdrawing, Yan seized the opportunity created by its concentration of superior strength and turned that advantage against the mass of Zhao troops retreating from the failed attack.

Faced with an enemy force twice their size and a ferocious offensive, the Zhao troops on the north side of Jiao Lake withdrew completely onto the water.

More than a million men boarded wooden rafts and retreated into Jiao Lake in a vast, rolling mass, an awe-inspiring spectacle.

The trees cut bare from the surrounding land were the source of that spectacle.

"What can you do to us? What can you do to us...?"

From densely packed rafts across the lake, Zhao's soldiers waved their weapons and shouted taunts at the large numbers of Yan troops who had seized the lakeshore. One could almost call it mass mockery.

A Yan commander roared furiously, "Loose!"

Arrows, even fire arrows, hissed out from the shore.

They rained down into the lake, but the distance was already too great. They could not so much as touch a hair on the retreating Zhao troops.

"What can you do to us? What can you do to us...?"

Seeing that Yan's attack was useless and posed no threat at all, Zhao's jeering only grew more excited and louder.

"Hah!"

The commander personally loosed an arrow, then angrily threw down his bow. Turning to the cultivators of Yan's three great sects beside him, he shouted, "All of you should organize your men immediately, fly out over the lake, and pursue them! We cannot allow Zhao's army to act this brazenly!"

One cultivator asked in return, "You want only us to charge into the enemy? Is the General joking? The lake is packed with enemy troops. Even if we organize our people, how many could we possibly kill? The cultivators within Zhao's army are not decorations either. If we rush out there into a rain of arrows, who knows how many of us will die? If you use us up here, how does the General intend to fight the battles that come afterward?"

The Yan commander had spoken only out of anger.

Watching the enemy escape before his eyes while being unable to find any means of pursuit nearby left him stamping his feet and beating his chest in helpless fury.

On one of the larger wooden rafts, Pang Teng stood looking into the distance. Rather than being upset over the defeat, he excitedly struck one fist into his palm.

"Good! Yan's army has finally taken the bait!"

This was not the first time he had commanded a major assault in an attempt to break out.

Yet Yan kept firmly holding the key positions, leaving every attack unable to force a breach.

And whenever Zhao's troops withdrew after defeat, Yan never hurried after them to seek a decisive battle and annihilate them. Instead, Yan had maintained its strategy of encirclement, apparently intending to trap Zhao here until the army starved and exhausted itself to death.

That had prevented Pang Teng's plan from succeeding again and again.

Now, after another attempt, he had finally gotten what he wanted.

Although Zuo Chengfeng already understood Pang Teng's plan, some worry still showed on his face.

"Grand Commander-in-Chief, the man facing you is Meng Shanming. His reputation was not gained for nothing. Are you certain this will work?"

Pang Teng answered with complete confidence.

"I concentrated a large force to attack from Jiao Lake's north side precisely to lure Yan into gathering strength there to stop me. That objective has now been achieved."

"All our troops crossing the lake need to do is head straight for the nearest point on the south shore. Once we join up with our defenders there, we can concentrate an overwhelming superiority of force and break through in one stroke."

"Unless every Yan soldier gathered here suddenly sprouts wings, there is no possibility their masses of infantry can circle the lake on two legs and reach the south shore in time to reinforce it."

"They would have to make a long detour. Forget simply being too late—the march back and forth would exhaust them into a weary army."

"So long as the breakout succeeds and we tear open the enemy's encirclement, we'll be able to obtain supplies. Then we'll have the means to continue maneuvering against both Yan's army and the rebels."

Zuo Chengfeng sighed.

"I only hope the Grand Commander-in-Chief's plan proceeds smoothly."

The words were thick with worry.

Pang Teng had little he could say to that.

He immediately turned and issued an order.

"Contact the defenders on the south shore and have them prepare to receive us. Order the army to row faster!"

...

News of Zhao's movements reached the Yan camp.

After receiving the intelligence, Shang Chaozong slammed one fist onto the table.

"Good! Just as Marshal Meng predicted. They truly intend to join the defenders on the south side and break out!"

He turned toward Meng Shanming.

"Now it all depends on Luo Da'an and Lu Zheng!"

Meng Shanming nodded.

"Everything that needed explaining has already been explained."

"The outflow at the downstream end of Jiao Lake is not an area Zhao considers important enough to defend heavily. I've also assigned capable officers to assist the two of them. There should be no problem."

"Your Highness, there is no time to lose. You may give the order to attack."

Meng Shanming could not possibly keep Luo Da'an beside him for life merely to push his wheelchair.

Luo Da'an was his disciple.

Lu Zheng, who had begun following him midway through the campaign in Song, could now also be counted as half a disciple.

With a teacher like Meng Shanming, so long as he was willing to give them opportunities, the two young men would naturally have chances to earn merit.

This critical battle had now been entrusted to them.

They could not spend their lives merely talking war on paper.

From this point onward, Meng Shanming was pushing both men onto the battlefield to begin their true tempering.

Shang Chaozong immediately shouted to the communications officer, "Pass the order to the troops at the downstream end of Jiao Lake. Attack immediately! There must be no mistake. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!"

"Yes!"

The communications officer accepted the order and hurried away.

...

The moment the order to attack arrived, Luo Da'an and Lu Zheng, already fully prepared on opposite banks of Jiao Lake's outflow, launched their attacks simultaneously, one from the left and one from the right.

To Zhao, the position guarding Jiao Lake's outflow was not strategically important.

It lay downstream, where the terrain was crisscrossed by gullies and waterways. It was unsuitable for battle and unsuitable for stationing large numbers of troops. The place seemed to hold little value.

To Yan, however, the battle for the outflow would determine whether the entire campaign succeeded.

Large numbers of cultivators had already been secretly transferred there.

Shang Chaozong had even ordered the three great sects to deploy three large flying mounts and three Supreme Elders.

Their purpose was singular.

Not one messenger Goldenwing was to escape from the defenders at the outflow.

Ultimately, the objective was simply to delay Zhao's discovery that the outflow had fallen.

Once the offensive began, Yan's superior strength smashed forward.

It did not take long to seize the outflow.

The instant control was secured, Luo Da'an and Lu Zheng ordered the large number of cultivators present to tear open and widen Jiao Lake's outflow as quickly as possible.

That was their only task now.

Widen it.

Widen it again.

Tear it open.

Tear it wider still.

However far the outlet could be opened, they were to open it.

After taking the position, this was the one task they were to continue without pause. Unless new military orders arrived, they were not to stop.

Only when the deployment orders were issued had the Sect Leaders of Yan's three great sects learned the battle plan.

They too understood how grave this operation was.

The success or failure of the entire war rested on it.

They therefore issued death orders to the disciples below them as well: anyone who delayed the battle would be severely punished under sect rules.

The cultivators threw themselves into the work with tremendous force, the resulting noise and commotion impossible to miss.

They dug simultaneously along more than a dozen waterways of varying size around the lakeshore.

Nearly one hundred thousand troops took part together.

...

"Strange. Why has the lake water started moving?"

The Zhao soldiers paddling their wooden rafts across the lake all sensed that something was wrong.

The glittering surface of the lake was no longer calm.

Pang Teng found it strange as well.

Worse, the current seemed to be growing faster and faster.

He did not know what was happening.

The problem was that as the current strengthened, it began pushing the entire army off course.

They had originally intended to cross in a straight line and head directly for their destination.

Instead, they were being forced into an angled course against the current.

That not only made paddling considerably harder, it also inevitably lengthened the crossing by a great deal.

This was such a vast lake.

None of them had lived here for long.

They had no idea whether changes like this were normal.

Pang Teng could only keep urging the army to put more strength into their paddling and move faster.

Not long afterward, a messenger Goldenwing arrived.

A general received the intelligence and hurriedly reported, "Grand Commander-in-Chief, word has come from the defenders on the south shore. They report that the water level along the shore is falling rapidly. They ask us to reach them as quickly as possible, or our army may have difficulty landing."

How could the water level across such a vast lake possibly be dropping rapidly?

Pang Teng stared in startled uncertainty.

He lowered his eyes toward the lake, which had now become a swift current.

Then, as though some possibility suddenly occurred to him, his expression changed drastically.

He whipped around toward the Sect Leaders of Zhao's three great sects.

"Quickly! Send someone to inspect Jiao Lake's downstream end immediately!"

Mi Man frowned.

"Inspect what?"

"Go!"

Pang Teng practically roared the word at him.

The three Sect Leaders realized something serious might have happened.

No matter how displeased they were at being shouted at, none argued now.

They immediately ordered the cultivators controlling the flying mounts overhead to hurry downstream and investigate.

But the order had barely been given when another messenger Goldenwing arrived.

This message came from troops stationed near Jiao Lake's outflow.

The outflow had already been taken in a surprise attack by Yan.

Large numbers of Yan troops were now frantically excavating channels to drain the lake.

Yan could conceal the fall of Jiao Lake's outflow for a time, but it could not conceal it forever.

The neighboring defenders were not dead men.

The various positions maintained coordinated defensive contact with one another.

The moment they discovered they could no longer establish contact with the outflow's defenders, they sent men to investigate.

Naturally, the problem was discovered.

An urgent report followed at once.

The very thing he feared had happened.

The moment Pang Teng read the report, his face drained of color.

He thrust one hand toward the opposite shore ahead and roared, "Faster! Row faster! Faster!"

Zuo Chengfeng asked, "Grand Commander-in-Chief, what is Yan trying to accomplish by doing this?"

Pang Teng's lips tightened.

He said nothing.

His eyes remained fixed on the shore ahead.

He did not want to answer.

If he said it aloud, he feared it would shake the army's morale.

At the same time, he still held onto a sliver of hope.

He hoped there was still enough time.

He hoped the worst possible outcome would not occur.

The three Sect Leaders asked again and again, yet he still refused to answer.

All three began to frown.

Before long, another enormous piece of bad news arrived.

Yan had launched a full-scale assault against the defenders on the south shore!

Faced with military intelligence this serious, Pang Teng's expression turned ashen.

He still said nothing.

The three Sect Leaders finally became anxious.

Jiang Wanlou snapped, "Grand Commander-in-Chief, why are you delaying? Order the defenders to withdraw into the lake immediately!"

"Once we concentrate our superior strength, we can immediately move to another section of our surrounding defensive line, land there, and break out!"

A desolate look appeared on Pang Teng's face.

He murmured, "I'm afraid it's too late."

Jiang Wanlou became furious.

"Wasn't this exactly the situation you hoped to create? Why is it suddenly too late now?"

He had not personally seen what was happening to the defenders on the south shore.

But Pang Teng had already guessed.

Everything had been designed in advance.

Yan would never have acted rashly.

It had chosen the timing of its move precisely.

Faced with Yan's frontal assault, the defenders on the south shore wanted to follow the original plan and retreat onto the lake.

But they could no longer do so.

The water level had fallen too quickly.

The long chains of wooden rafts that had once floated along the shore were now stranded across muddy flats.

Most of the south-shore defenders were resisting Yan's frontal attack.

Another portion had jumped into the marshy ground behind them, sinking deep with one step and shallow with the next as they tried to drag the rafts trapped in the mud back out into the lake.

[End of Chapter 885]