Chapter 257: The Black Dragon Banner

“Three days. Within three days, assemble beneath South Slope Mountain. Every last one of you had better have a savage head tied to your belt. I don’t care whether it belongs to a scout sent by the snowfield savages or some local savage out hunting. I don’t care whether they’re male or female, old or young. Anyone who comes back without a head hanging from his waist—I’ll twist off his head and hang that from his belt instead!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

“This subordinate obeys!”

Within a forested mountain valley, fifty men knelt before Xue San.

They were the scouts he had personally trained these past several weeks through his brutal “cramming” method.

Shengle City’s troops, led by Liang Cheng, were serving as the Jingnan Army’s vanguard, clearing the road ahead.

And Xue San’s men operated even farther ahead of the vanguard.

Liang Cheng had already swept this mountain route once, uprooting several more savage strongholds in the process, but the Tianduan Mountains were vast and the terrain was complicated.

Who knew whether a few stray fish had escaped the net?

At the same time, they had to guard against infiltration and surveillance by the snowfield savages.

Xue San might not know how to command a great army in battle, but even he understood what would happen if their movements were discovered too early.

If the snowfield savages gathered troops and laid an ambush along the route where the Yan army would emerge from the mountains, then no matter how strong the Yan army was, it would still suffer.

“Go.”

The fifty men scattered into the surrounding forest.

Only one remained.

He held a cloth bag filled with hawthorn berries.

“Where’d you get those?”

Xue San looked down at him.

Xue San thought rather highly of this particular subordinate.

Not because he was especially talented.

Not because his aptitude was particularly good.

But because of his name.

His surname was Dai.

His given name was Li.

Dai Li.

With a name like that, Xue San could hardly help paying him a little extra attention.

And Dai Li himself knew how to read the room.

Once he realized his superior seemed to look favorably upon him, he frequently came over to flatter Xue San and cultivate the relationship.

“They’re mine, sir. I thought I’d be staying beside you the entire time, so I was carrying them for you.

“Now that I’ll be separating from you for a while, I figured I should hand them over first.”

Xue San took the hawthorn berries and nodded.

His tone softened slightly.

“Be careful.”

Dai Li was so moved he immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times to Xue San.

Only then did he turn and disappear into the forest.

He was a Jin man.

A surrendered soldier.

Within Shengle City’s military system, men like him were considered the lowest tier.

So to receive Xue San’s personal acknowledgment at a time like this only made him treasure it all the more.

In truth, Xue San simply felt that whether other people lived or died did not matter much.

But if this particular bastard named Dai Li died, it would somehow feel incredibly ominous.

Unlucky.

Besides, once they entered the mountains, Xue San had ordered his men to change how they addressed him.

Since Master was the Director of the Eastern Depot, then he might as well call himself the Bureau Chief.

Xue San grabbed a hawthorn berry and tossed it into his mouth.

He chewed slowly.

Then he walked to the stream before him, loosened his belt, and enjoyed a long piss.

He shook himself off.

Then walked several steps upstream, crouched down, and began washing his hands.

Xue San actually liked the Marquis of Jingnan quite a bit.

Not because of the Marquis’s relationship with Master.

Rather, because this man knew how war was supposed to be fought.

The Jingnan Army had also sent scouts ahead to hunt down savages along the march route.

In Xue San’s eyes, this was what proper warfare looked like.

If every commander were like Li Fusheng, roaring impatiently and charging straight into the fight, then what use would people like Xue San even have?

Alas.

Not understanding how to use spies to clear the fog of war was practically blasphemy against the art of warfare.

Xue San splashed some water over his face.

Then did several stretches.

A moment later, his figure melted into the forest ahead.

...

A great army naturally could not march quickly.

But to save time, the rest periods along the route had been deliberately shortened.

Fortunately, they were not conducting a forced march.

For these Jingnan Army veterans who had already endured real war, it was not especially difficult.

After ten straight days on the move, the Marquis of Jingnan finally ordered the army to make camp and rest.

The men needed to recover.

The horses needed attention as well.

Zheng Fan sat inside his tent.

Before him, Tufa Su carried over a bowl of freshly cooked noodles.

Zheng Fan had no idea which bastard had failed to keep his mouth shut, or whether Tufa Chengji, after seeing Siniang, had decided he understood Zheng Fan’s “tastes.”

Either way, whenever the opportunity arose during the march, Tufa Chengji kept sending Tufa Su over to attend Zheng Fan personally.

Now that the army had stopped to rest and would remain here for three full days this was supposedly the perfect opportunity to “exercise,” wasn’t it?

Zheng Fan carried chili powder with him.

He sprinkled some over the noodles and began eating.

Siniang was not beside him during the march.

Being able to eat this much was already fairly decent.

Once he finished, Tufa Su handed him a towel.

Zheng Fan wiped his face, then returned to the inner part of the tent to rest.

The human body had its limits.

Zheng Fan had previously made the entire journey to and from the snowfields with the Marquis of Jingnan without stopping.

Then, almost immediately after returning, he had marched out with the army again.

Even if his body could still endure it, the exhaustion in his mind had become painfully obvious.

He lay on the blankets inside the tent.

All he wanted was to empty his mind.

At that moment, Tufa Su crawled in on her knees.

Zheng Fan turned his head and looked at her.

She looked back.

Then she began removing her clothes.

Truthfully, Tufa Su was not unattractive.

There was indeed a certain weathered sharpness to her features.

That could not be helped.

In a place like Shengle City, a woman who had to show her face in public and fight for a living could hardly preserve herself like some sheltered daughter of a great household in the State of Qian.

And her figure was genuinely excellent.

According to Xue San, she had one son and one daughter.

Her husband had died of illness five years earlier.

“Put them back on.

“I’m not in the mood.”

Tufa Su bit her lip.

She drew a deep breath, then put her clothes back on.

“From now on, just stay beside me.

“Take care of my food and drink. That’s enough.”

Zheng Fan could not be bothered explaining further.

Tufa Chengji’s meaning in sending her over had already been perfectly obvious.

Even if Zheng Fan had no interest, there was no reason to trap the woman between two impossible positions.

This was simply how people in this world behaved.

Even a scholar-official like Wen Sutong casually sent granddaughters and daughters to build relationships.

How much integrity could anyone expect from the minor clan chief of a local stronghold?

“Help me wipe down my armor and saber.

“Sorry to trouble you.”

“Yes, Master.”

Tufa Su saluted Zheng Fan, then slowly rose and carried his armor and saber outside to clean them.

Zheng Fan let out a long breath.

He wanted to sleep as much as possible.

Truthfully, he was not especially enthusiastic about this war.

If he had to choose, he would rather bury himself in Shengle City and spend a few years developing the place.

Playing a real-life game of Monopoly had its own sense of accomplishment, didn’t it?

Or when he grew bored of developing the territory, he could change into ordinary clothes with Siniang and travel with a merchant caravan through Jiangnan in the State of Qian.

They could visit temples.

Visit Daoist monasteries.

See how those refined scholars insisted on carrying folding fans even in the dead of winter just so they could look elegant.

He could even find some sect and learn something new.

Or go to Yanjing, find some kind of mage or battle-qi practitioner, and see whether he could cultivate both magic and martial power.

There were still far too many places in this world he had never explored or experienced.

Yet here he was, lying inside a damp, chilly tent and staring into space.

Zheng Fan drew a deep breath and sighed inwardly.

Fallen.

I’ve fallen.

The moment I got a city of my own and accumulated a little capital, I started dreaming about living a comfortable petty-bourgeois life.

Unacceptable.

Absolutely unacceptable...

He slept all the way until broad daylight.

After finally catching up on his rest, his energy and spirit returned.

Breakfast was flour-dumpling soup.

Nothing like the rich versions of later generations.

Just simple lumps of flour cooked in broth.

And if he had to judge purely by cooking skill, Zheng Fan honestly thought he himself could cook far better than Tufa Su.

This woman clearly did not spend much time in the kitchen.

At the very least, she had never truly put her heart into cooking.

Alas.

Siniang really was better.

Beautiful.

Gentle.

And she could cook.

After breakfast, Zheng Fan put his armor back on.

Then he sat on a rock outside his tent and stared blankly into space.

He was clearly a commander in his own right.

Yet the Marquis of Jingnan had dragged him into the central army and turned him into a mascot.

His own soldiers were all being led at the front by Liang Cheng.

Which meant Zheng Fan himself had absolutely nothing to do.

At least, not until the Marquis of Jingnan summoned him to the command tent.

Inspecting the camp?

Not his responsibility.

Checking troop morale?

Nothing to do with him.

Over these past several days, Zheng Fan increasingly felt like one of those “eunuch army supervisors” he used to read about in history books.

It was nearly noon before he finally received orders to report to the command tent for a military conference.

Inside the command tent sat four Generals, along with a group of Deputy Generals.

Everyone quietly ate lunch together with the Marquis of Jingnan.

The meal was brutally simple.

Coarse corn cakes soaked in water.

From the Marquis of Jingnan downward, everyone ate the same thing.

When Zheng Fan entered, a guard also delivered him a serving of this “remember hardship, cherish sweetness” meal.

Helpless, he could only grit his teeth and chew.

The army did not actually lack provisions.

Yes, Zheng Fan had nearly wept blood over how much wealth and grain Shengle City had spent supporting this expedition.

But Siniang and the Blind Man had still been extremely generous.

If they were going to be bled anyway, they might as well do it beautifully.

At least then they could earn some goodwill for what they paid.

So there had been absolutely no skimping on grain.

If anything, they had deliberately supplied the good stuff.

The Marquis of Jingnan finished eating.

Everyone else finished as well.

Zheng Fan, who had arrived last, silently stuffed the final piece of corn cake into his mouth.

Fuck.

This absolutely was not grain from Shengle City.

There was a pebble in the damn cake.

“Mmph...!”

Zheng Fan choked.

Yes.

Right there inside the command tent, Zheng Fan clutched his chest in agony.

A General named Wang Ge, sitting nearby, kindly came over and patted him several times on the back.

Then he poured Zheng Fan a bowl of water and helped him drink.

“Haaa...”

Relief.

Everyone else silently watched the scene unfold.

Just a fraction more, and this campaign would already have produced its first high-ranking casualty.

Tian Wujing glanced at Zheng Fan.

“You all right?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

Then cupped his hands toward everyone around him in apology.

Wang Ge teased, “I remember someone saying Brother Zheng came from a merchant household.

“Looks like you really weren’t raised for a hard life.”

The teasing was friendly.

There was no hostility in it.

Anyone could hear that from Wang Ge’s tone.

Everyone here knew how highly Tian Wujing regarded Zheng Fan.

No one was stupid enough to openly smear him in front of the Marquis.

The surrounding generals laughed.

Tian Wujing pressed one hand downward.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

“During this campaign, everything you have eaten and drunk while crossing the mountains has depended upon City Defender Zheng’s support.

“Every one of you owes him a favor.”

Hearing that, Wang Ge and the other generals all cupped their hands toward Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan had no choice but to return the salute again.

“This meal today was specially ordered by this Marquis.

“First scrape some of the oil from your bellies.

“That way, when we enter the snowfields the day after tomorrow, you won’t grow sick of all the fat cattle and tender sheep there.”

“Hahahaha!”

The generals roared with laughter.

“We are one day’s march from leaving the Tianduan Mountains and entering the snowfields.

“Wang Ge. Zhang Cheng.”

“This general is here!”

“This general is here!”

“You two will command ten thousand troops as the Right Army.

“Wang Ge will hold overall command.”

“This general obeys!”

“Xiao Mingxuan. Li Dingdong.”

“This general is here!”

“This general is here!”

“You two will command ten thousand troops as the Left Army.

“Xiao Mingxuan will hold overall command.”

“This general obeys!”

“This Marquis will depart one day early.

“I will personally lead ten thousand cavalry from my headquarters, rendezvous with Shengle City’s three-thousand-cavalry vanguard, and form the Central Army.

“We enter the snowfields first.

“The Left and Right Armies follow behind, covering and supporting this Marquis’s Central Army.”

All the generals answered in unison, “This general obeys!”

They called it a military conference.

In reality, there had been virtually nothing to discuss.

The overall concept was simple.

I lead the Central Army in front.

You follow the route I take.

There was no need to discuss detailed marching routes.

No need to debate strategic objectives.

No need to plan grand operational frameworks.

Follow my rhythm.

That was the Marquis of Jingnan’s plan for the campaign.

Zheng Fan understood that this approach rested upon Tian Wujing’s personal reconnaissance of the snowfields.

The snowfields were vast.

For the Yan officers and soldiers, it was an entirely unfamiliar battlefield.

On their first campaign there, everyone was practically blind.

You could draw up the most brilliant battle plan imaginable, but it would still be useless if you got lost.

By contrast, this method looked simple.

Direct.

Even somewhat crude.

Yet it was the safest approach.

Everything depended upon how well Tian Wujing, their guide dog, performed.

After leaving the command tent, the generals immediately went off to make their preparations.

Zheng Fan stayed behind and helped move a few things.

He had nothing better to do anyway.

Once everything was packed, Tian Wujing mounted his Pixiu.

Zheng Fan stared at the beast in front of him.

The Pixiu stared back.

Then the bastard actually rolled its eyes at Zheng Fan.

“…”

Zheng Fan.

“After this campaign ends, this Marquis will request one from the palace for you.”

“Many thanks, Marquis!”

Zheng Fan had coveted these Pixiu for a long time.

And if Tian Wujing personally requested one for him, its bloodline and quality certainly would not be poor.

It would never be like that one-horned beast Fatty Xu rode.

Then Zheng Fan could feed it some spirit medicines and accelerate its maturation.

Maybe give it some vampire blood.

Or zombie blood.

See whether he could stimulate its bloodline somehow.

The ten-thousand-man Central Army quickly completed preparations and departed ahead of schedule.

One day later, it rendezvoused with the vanguard led by Liang Cheng.

Altogether, more than thirteen thousand cavalry began emerging from the mountains.

...

“Angda, the tribes here are nothing but useless trash!

“They disgrace the powerful bodies the stars bestowed upon them!”

“Quemu, my good brother, put away your complaints.

“They have already given us food and water.

“What more can we demand from them?”

“Angda, the tribes here are wealthy!

“They should contribute their warriors to the King’s great cause!”

Angda stroked his beard.

He found this brother standing before him almost endearingly simple.

By command of the King, the two of them had led five thousand warriors westward to this place.

Several days earlier, word had arrived that the Yan people were making major moves within the mountain region.

Many savages who had originally lived in that area of the Tianduan Mountains had been forced from their homes and fled onto the snowfields to survive.

Their force had been sent here to stand guard.

Numerous tribes already lived in this region.

Because they were located close to the Tianduan Mountains, these tribes had learned how to do business over the past several decades.

Merchant caravans came through from time to time.

Because of that, their lives were more comfortable than those of many other tribes across the snowfields.

Back when Angda had traveled with the King as a merchant, he had passed through this region many times.

Naturally, he knew exactly how much trade could benefit a tribe.

Yes, most of the profit was taken by those black-hearted merchants from Yan, Jin, and Qian.

But even so, the tribes of the snowfields could still obtain some of the precious goods they needed most.

“Quemu, don’t be angry with them.

“The King’s name has already spread this far.

“Didn’t you see how, the moment we arrived, these tribes voluntarily offered us food, water, tents, and flocks of sheep?

“They do not reject the King’s leadership.

“Once the King resolves the fighting at Snow Sea Pass, his banner will come here in person.

“When that happens, the warriors of these tribes will become his most loyal followers.”

“But—why do the others get to fight the Jin people at Snow Sea Pass while we have to run all the way out here?

“All the Jin troops are at Snow Sea Pass.

“What are we supposed to be guarding against here?”

That was what Quemu could not understand.

He and Angda were both warriors beneath the King.

What he wanted was to tear apart the Jin people who had once oppressed them.

Not come all the way out here to drink sheep’s milk!

Angda’s gaze grew deeper.

The vision of the savages was still far too narrow.

The King had lamented this to Angda more than once.

And as one of the warriors who had once traveled outside together with the King, Angda understood just how vast the wider world truly was.

“We are guarding against the Yan people.”

Angda spoke with complete seriousness.

“The Yan people?

“How could the Yan people possibly come here?”

Quemu found the idea ridiculous.

“Can you guarantee that the Yan people absolutely will not come here?”

“That... but...”

Angda said heavily, “Were the Jin people strong?”

“The Jin people have already been defeated by us!

“Even their emperor was defeated by us!”

“Fool.

“That was only one part of Jin.

“There were three Jin clans.

“All these years, the people who constantly fought our tribes were only one of them.”

“I know.

“There were two other Jin clans.”

“Not anymore.

“They’re gone.

“The Yan people swallowed both of those Jin clans.

“They occupied their lands.

“They seized their populations!”

“So what?

“If the Yan people dare come to the snowfields, I’ll lead our warriors to rip them apart!

“I’ll arrange their heads in a circle and offer them to the stars!”

Angda raised a hand and rubbed his forehead.

Quemu was extremely powerful.

He was one of the strongest fighters beneath the King.

But his brain...

Angda remembered those years when he and the King had lived in Beifeng Commandery.

The image of that army clad entirely in black armor surfaced in his mind.

The Zhenbei Army.

“Quemu.

“Put away your ignorance and arrogance!”

“I...”

“Yes.

“I also believe the Yan people are unlikely to come to the snowfields, because I genuinely cannot think of any reason they would have to come here.

“The King thinks the same.

“These disturbances inside the Tianduan Mountains may simply be the Yan people clearing out nearby settlements.

“That is perfectly normal.

“When the Helian Clan still controlled this region of Jin, they would also enter the mountains from time to time and sweep away savage settlements.

“But precisely because they are Yan people, the King would rather send you and me all the way here to keep watch.

“You do not understand what weight the Yan people carry in the King’s heart.

“You have also never witnessed their strength!”

Years ago, when both Angda and the King had still been young, they would lean against a tent outside the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate after finishing the day’s work.

Together, they would raise their heads and look at the stars.

The stars above the desert were just like those above the snowfields.

Bright.

Clear.

Angda still remembered the King asking him then:

Between our Holy Race and the barbarians, who is stronger?

Angda had remained silent for a long time.

Then, gritting his teeth, he answered:

The barbarians are stronger.

Their horses are taller.

Their warriors are more powerfully built.

Their mounted archery is more formidable.

Then the King had asked:

And compared with the Yan people?

Angda had been unable to answer.

Because those incomparably powerful barbarians had been suppressed in the desert by the Yan people.

The answer had been obvious.

Later, the King had told him that one day their Holy Race would also grow strong.

That they would reclaim the homeland the remnants of Great Xia had stolen from their ancestors.

That they would become as powerful as the barbarians.

As powerful as the Yan people.

But the shadow the Yan people had branded into Angda’s heart was still far too deep.

And so was the memory of that... little girl who had left the scar on the King’s face.

That day, the King had nearly been executed.

He returned after being whipped, yet showed neither anger nor pain.

Instead, he had pointed to the scar on his own face and told Angda, “That little girl will become my queen one day.”

“Angda! Angda!”

Quemu’s shouting dragged Angda from his memories.

“Quemu.

“You may refuse to listen to my orders.

“But you must obey the King’s will.

“Do you still remember what the King told you before we departed?”

“I remember...”

Angda drew a deep breath.

Then said solemnly, “Then remember this.

“When you see the black dragon banner, put down every bit of your arrogance.”

Quemu clenched both fists.

His knuckles cracked loudly.

Clearly, he remained utterly unconvinced.

Angda placed a hand on Quemu’s shoulder.

He soothed him.

“All right.

“Once the King’s army breaks through Snow Sea Pass, you’ll have your chance to fight the Yan people.

“When that time comes, you can prove your valor however you like.

“For now, help me send men to notify the chieftains of the nearby tribes.

“Ask whether the tribal warriors I previously ordered into the mountains have sent back any reports.”

“Hmph.”

Quemu turned and left the main tent.

Angda exhaled slowly.

Then pressed his lips together.

There was something Quemu did not know.

Or rather, something almost no one in the entire tribe knew apart from Angda, the King, and a handful of others.

The King had once dispatched an envoy to Yanjing.

He had hoped to join forces with the Emperor of Yan and destroy the Situ Clan together.

But that diplomatic mission had disappeared without a trace.

...

After leaving the mountain range, the Yan army did not immediately gallop deeper into the snowfields.

Instead, it reorganized once more.

They would take one final rest while also waiting for the Left and Right Armies behind them to close some of the distance.

There was no need to wait until both armies fully emerged from the mountains.

But they could not allow the gap between the forces to become too large.

At this time, Zheng Fan returned to his own troops and went directly to Liang Cheng.

“Master?”

“Skip the nonsense.

“I don’t have much time.

“I have to get back to the Marquis of Jingnan soon.”

“Tian Wujing is deliberately cultivating Master.”

Keeping you beside him during a campaign there was no more luxurious internship or observation opportunity in existence.

“Goddamn it.

“I spent so much blood and effort raising these troops, yet I can’t personally command them.

“I finally pull out an army of my own, and I still have to run off and serve as someone else’s personal guard.”

Zheng Fan had not been especially resentful until Liang Cheng mentioned it.

After all, these troops were his.

It was like painstakingly saving up to buy yourself a toy, only for some older kid to snatch the thing from your hands and shamelessly tell you, Come on.

Big Brother will teach you how to play.

Watch carefully.

“Master came over this time to...?”

“Oh. Right. Nearly forgot.

“Hurry up and tell me how we should fight this campaign.

“Don’t get too detailed.

“Just give me the broad direction.

“I have a feeling Tian Wujing is going to test me on this later.”

Over these past several days, Tian Wujing had kept Zheng Fan in the Central Army and periodically asked him questions about military affairs.

Some of the questions were quite deep.

Tian Wujing would even deliberately tell Zheng Fan to think them over before answering.

It was exactly like a teacher assigning homework in school.

Turn it in the next day.

Whenever he found the opportunity, Zheng Fan would run to the vanguard and find Liang Cheng.

He would get the standard answer from Liang Cheng.

Then, the next morning, he would return to Tian Wujing and say:

“I thought about it deeply all night and finally gained some insight.

“Marquis, see whether I’m correct...”

Every time Zheng Fan finished answering, he could see satisfaction in Tian Wujing’s eyes.

Sometimes Zheng Fan’s answers even caused Tian Wujing himself to sink into thought.

So no one was an all-knowing, omnipotent god.

Not even Tian Wujing.

Perhaps, in Tian Wujing’s eyes, Zheng Fan was a “general star” steadily rising into the heavens.

He had no idea that every day, he was effectively exchanging military theory with another master of warfare.

The real suffering fell upon Zheng Fan.

Because he worried that the standard answers he copied were too perfect, sometimes he had to deliberately leave parts out.

Blur certain points.

Make the answer excellent, but not flawless.

That way, after the Marquis of Jingnan finished listening and felt satisfied, there would still be room for him to “instruct” Zheng Fan further.

Zheng Fan completed his assignment.

The Marquis got the pleasure of teaching.

Everyone won.

“Master, the strategy is actually already very clear.

“Tian Wujing personally leads the Central Army.

“The Left and Right Armies behind him serve as support and reinforcement.

“Combined with the conditions of the snowfields, he should be using the method of a wolf pack driving sheep.

“First bite down the sheepdogs guarding the flock.

“In other words, specifically attack the strongest tribes.

“Once those tribes are destroyed, the remaining tribes will very likely panic and collapse.

“And we must seize the initiative.

“Either we do not fight at all, or the moment we begin, we keep biting and never let go.

“We cannot allow the various savage tribes across the snowfields enough time to gather and form a united army.”

Liang Cheng was still speaking when a filthy Xue San walked over.

Xue San had vanished for quite some time.

While the army was still marching through the Tianduan Mountains, he had probably already slipped onto the snowfields to investigate in advance.

“San’er!

“You’ve been gone for so many days.

“I was worried sick about you.”

Zheng Fan finished speaking, then immediately turned back toward Liang Cheng.

“Anything else to add?

“Hurry up.”

Xue San had been preparing to perform an emotional reunion scene.

“…”

Xue San.

Then Xue San moved closer.

“Master, I have a fresh piece of military intelligence.

“Master should hand it in and claim the merit.

“Just say Master personally scouted it out.”

Liang Cheng chuckled.

“San’er, you’ve been away these days, so you don’t know.

“Master has basically been attending classes in Tian Wujing’s Central Army every day.”

“Uh...”

Xue San froze.

Zheng Fan waved it off.

“That doesn’t matter.

“I’ll take you to report to Tian Wujing in person later.”

...

“This general, Xue San, greets the Marquis of Jingnan.”

Xue San saluted first.

Then he took a sheet of paper from his robes and offered it forward.

Zheng Fan walked over and accepted it.

He exchanged a glance with Xue San, then turned and handed the paper to the Marquis of Jingnan.

The Marquis spread it open.

Drawn across the sheet was a rough map showing the distribution of several forces in the surrounding region.

It had been sketched with charcoal.

A little crude.

Originally, Xue San had considered adding contour lines and similar details.

After some thought, he decided against gilding the lily.

Tian Wujing quickly noticed something unusual.

“There is an additional tribe here?”

“Replying to the Marquis, this force should have moved here recently.

“Rather than calling it a tribe, it would be more accurate to call it an army.

“They are encamped on a green shoal to the northeast.”

“How many?”

“Replying to the Marquis, around five thousand.

“Half of them wear armor.”

“You are certain?”

“This subordinate is certain.

“There is no mistake.”

“Good.”

Tian Wujing turned his head and looked at Zheng Fan, who stood beside him.

“If this Marquis remembers correctly, he is also one of your men?”

Xue San’s appearance was simply too memorable.

It was almost impossible not to remember him.

“Yes, Marquis.”

“You are quite good at gathering talented people.”

“This general merely gathers talented people on the Marquis’s behalf.”

Tian Wujing completely ignored the flattery.

“It appears this additional force was recently transferred here from the northeastern Snow Sea Pass front.

“That Savage King truly does give Great Yan considerable face.”

No one had expected Yan to send troops.

Even Zheng Fan himself had not imagined it before receiving his orders.

Yet at the most critical stage of the fighting, that Savage King had deliberately detached five thousand troops to keep watch over this region.

That degree of vigilance was genuinely impressive.

Tian Wujing looked at Zheng Fan.

“City Defender Zheng.”

“This general is here.”

“What do you think?

“Who should we strike first?”

He had guessed the test correctly.

“Strike this force sent here by the Savage King.

“Destroy them in full view of all the surrounding tribes.

“Crush them.

“Devour them.

“From the very first moment, let every tribe here experience the terror of Great Yan’s iron cavalry.

“Make them afraid.

“Make them despair.

“Turn them into a flock of sheep fleeing in panic, while we become the wolf pack upon the snowfields.

“We will tear into them all the way east, until their blood soaks this entire land!”

Zheng Fan had simplified Liang Cheng’s answer a little.

Then, at the end, he had added a flourish of exaggerated rhetoric for emotional effect.

Judging by Tian Wujing’s expression, he was very satisfied with the answer.

“That Savage King secretly studied beneath the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate for several years.

“He truly managed to make something of himself.

“Now—it is time for the master to discipline the disciple.”

At the Marquis of Jingnan’s command, more than ten thousand iron cavalry began to move.

No more concealment.

No more hiding.

They openly and brazenly let the iron hooves of their warhorses trample the land beneath them.

Amid the thunder of cavalry, the Black Dragon Banner snapped and billowed in the wind!

[End of Chapter 257]