Chapter 00196: To Save or Not to Save!
# To Save or Not to Save!
Chapter 196
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 196: To Save or Not to Save!
Indeed, they have come.
General Nan Ke said gravely, “How many troops does the enemy have?”
“It’s hard to get close enough to count precisely, but there are at least seven thousand!”
“Seven thousand!” Everyone’s expression changed upon hearing this, and General Nan Ke was also taken aback. “How is that possible? The Ba Ling army stationed at Wei City has only a little over two thousand men! Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
The scout replied firmly, “Not a single one less! If I have miscalculated, I am willing to face military law!”
At this moment, a Sparrow Hawk descended from the sky, landing on General Nan Ke’s shoulder and speaking human words: “I came from the northeast and saw dust rising from the ground, with nearly ten thousand enemies approaching!”
With the eagle in the sky saying this, there was no doubt about it.
The vice generals looked eagerly at General Nan Ke, who was deep in thought.
He had anticipated an enemy attack but had miscalculated the numbers.
Seven thousand enemy troops could easily change the outcome of the battle.
What should they do now? The enemy was approaching with great momentum, while the army of Pan Long City, burdened with hundreds of cargo carts, could not escape quickly.
No matter how brave the Pan Long army was, they could not engage an enemy force that outnumbered them six or seven times on an open plain, especially while needing to protect the merchants and cargo.
Not to mention him, even if General Hong were present, he might not be able to ensure a safe retreat.
General Nan Ke no longer hesitated and turned to point at the Ghost Needle Stone Forest. “The troops will turn around and immediately enter the Stone Forest!”
One of the oblivious officers was startled. “General, there may be an ambush inside.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” General Nan Ke replied coldly. “Only there can we fight with all our strength! Even if it’s a trap, we have to jump in with our noses pinched!”
Without delay, military orders were issued one after another.
The entire troop immediately changed direction and rushed toward the Ghost Needle Stone Forest.
At the same time, General Nan Ke fed the Sparrow Hawk a small piece of jerky and whispered a few words to it, then patted its head. “Please make another trip for me.”
The Sparrow Hawk flapped its wings and took off.
With its reddish-brown, spotted feathers, it was larger than ordinary hawks.
After taking off, it shot toward the north like a meteor, its speed surpassing that of ordinary falcons, truly deserving the title of wind and lightning.
However, no one noticed that two large eagles circling high in the sky changed direction and quietly followed.
……
Pu Sha Gou.
Like other cities on the Pan Long Wilderness, Pu Sha Gou was not large and had a small population, but it had been fortified with high walls and deep moats over many years of war.
The Ba Ling people had attacked several times but had never managed to take it down.
Today, the gates of Pu Sha Gou were tightly closed, and no one was allowed in or out.
However, many unfamiliar faces emerged from within, all clad in armor and exuding a murderous aura.
They neither made noise nor caused trouble, nor did they speak with the local residents; they simply stayed in the open space beneath the walls of Pu Sha Gou, sharpening their blades, watering their horses, and resting with closed eyes.
This army had a peculiar aura, standing like pine trees and heavy like deep waters, yet it seemed to harbor a raging fire that could erupt at any moment to harm others.
Their bright red battle armor drew respectful gazes from the common folk.
The Da Feng Army.
No one expected that while General Nan Ke was escorting the merchant convoy two to three hundred miles away on the wilderness, the Da Feng Army had quietly entered Pu Sha Gou.
Xiao Maoliang was adjusting the saddle on his beloved horse when he suddenly heard the sound of flapping wings above.
He looked up to see a familiar Sparrow Hawk descending from the air, landing on the city wall.
It has arrived.
Xiao Maoliang’s heart tightened, and he hurried up the city wall in a few quick steps, just in time to hear the bird speak:
“Report! General Nan Ke has encountered an enemy attack in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest!”
The master it reported to stood on the city wall facing the southern wilderness.
Apart from the bright red armor, others could only see the fluttering cape.
Behind him were seasoned generals who had seen many battles and laughed in the face of danger, yet here they stood with their hands respectfully at their sides, their expressions solemn, as if they dared not even breathe.
The hawk continued its report: “The Ba Ling enemy army numbers nearly ten thousand. General Nan Ke has taken refuge in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest and has sent me to request your assistance!”
Nearly ten thousand? Xiao Maoliang and the other vice generals exchanged glances.
The entire Ba Ling army stationed at Wei City had fewer than three thousand men.
Even if they all came out, where would six or seven thousand more come from?
After the hawk finished speaking, the man slightly turned his head, and the wind on the city wall suddenly stopped, the air became stagnant, and the fluttering cape fell still.
It was easy for him to influence the surrounding environment.
But this phenomenon lasted only a moment.
He raised his hand and pointed westward, a cold voice resonating in everyone’s hearts: “Prepare to strike.”
The soldiers on the city wall five feet away did not hear him speak at all.
The vice generals were surprised. “General, aren’t we dividing our troops to the Ghost Needle Stone Forest?”
“General Nan Ke can hold on.” A casual remark sealed the fate of the southern patrol army for the next few hours of life and death struggle.
Fortunately, the Sparrow Hawk received its master’s command again: “You will fly back to Pan Long City now and bring reinforcements for General Nan Ke.”
It was about three hundred miles from Pan Long City to the Ghost Needle Stone Forest.
Even with fast horses, it would take three to four hours to arrive.
The roads on the Pan Long Wilderness were not all smooth, and it would soon be dark in a couple of hours.
This did not even account for the time it would take the Sparrow Hawk to return to Pan Long City.
Roughly calculating, if the reinforcements could arrive by morning, they would be grateful to the heavens.
General Nan Ke’s troops would have to hold out alone for at least four to five hours.
“Yes!” the Sparrow Hawk reported again, “I was being tracked by two giant eagles in the sky on my way here and flew eighty miles before shaking them off.”
“Do you recognize them?”
“I don’t recognize them, nor do they look like the monsters of the wilderness.”
With the sudden appearance of seven thousand enemy troops and the unknown origins of the bird demon, the vice generals felt uneasy.
“Shaking them off is useless.” The man said to the Sparrow Hawk, “Pan Long City is in the southeast direction. You didn’t fly there but came straight to the north. This has already indicated to the enemy that General Nan Ke’s reinforcements are in the north. The north… can only be Pu Sha Gou.”
The Sparrow Hawk immediately lowered its head.
Having received General Nan Ke’s distress signal, it had rushed over with all its might, without considering such details.
The man waved his hand, and the Sparrow Hawk had no choice but to flap its wings and fly toward Pan Long City.
If it arrived earlier, General Nan Ke would receive assistance sooner.
“In other words, the newly arrived enemy will soon know we are in Pu Sha Gou, and it’s not hard to deduce that our target is Wei City.” After all, it was only a few dozen miles from here to Wei City, and cavalry could reach it in no time.
For the Ba Ling people, the Pan Long army was divided into two routes, one still hidden in Pu Sha Gou, and their intentions were quite clear, right?
Thus, “If we strike now, it wouldn’t count as a surprise attack.”
Surprise and unpredictability were the keys to victory.
Their original battle plan was to lure the anxious Hua Mu Cuo to attack General Nan Ke and the merchant convoy with all his might, while the Da Feng Army hidden in Pu Sha Gou would take the opportunity to recapture Wei City, eliminating this thorn in their side in one fell swoop.
Pu Sha Gou could not accommodate an army of thousands for a long time, but holding out for a few days was still feasible.
Although this plan sounded somewhat simplistic, battles have always been about simplifying plans while executing them in detail, combined with the principles of deception and reality to achieve unexpected results.
After Hua Mu Cuo captured Wei City, he had generally been at a disadvantage in several encounters with Pan Long City, and had been holding back his anger since three days ago when his brother was brutally killed…
When one’s closest kin is harmed, who dares to say they can endure, that they will not be angry, that they will not mobilize troops, that they will not seek revenge?
When a person is filled with rage, they are most prone to making mistakes and ignoring advice.
Conversely, if Hua Mu Cuo had responded calmly and not taken the bait, then at most the Da Feng Army would have returned to Pan Long City, and General Nan Ke would have successfully escorted the merchants back to Pu Sha Gou, which would itself be a great achievement.
Recapturing Wei City could be done next time; it was only a matter of time.
However, the sudden arrival of over seven thousand Ba Ling troops disrupted this plan.
As bait, General Nan Ke and the merchant convoy were in grave danger.
If the Da Feng Army stood by and did nothing, continuing with their original plan to seize Wei City, there would be two problems: First, how long could General Nan Ke hold out with over a thousand men and hundreds of cargo carts against seven thousand opponents?
Second, could the Da Feng Army really capture Wei City?
Xiao Maoliang furrowed his brow tightly. “If the enemy can send nearly ten thousand troops to intercept General Nan Ke and the merchant convoy, perhaps there are also garrison troops in Wei City, which would no longer be an empty city.”
This operation must not end up being a failed fishing attempt that results in being swallowed by the bait, which would be quite embarrassing.
The person in front asked them, “If you were the new commander of the Ba Ling people, knowing that General Nan Ke’s reinforcements are in Pu Sha Gou, what would your next plan be?”
Xiao Maoliang was taken aback. “New commander?” Then he suddenly realized, “Right, Hua Mu Cuo has only a little over two thousand men, so this newly appeared Ba Ling army must be led by someone else.” Otherwise, they wouldn’t have caught General Nan Ke off guard.
The generals thought for a moment and expressed their opinions, but overall, if they were the Ba Ling commander, they would have to consider how many men they had left.
If there were many, they would attack Pu Sha Gou; if few, they would defend Wei City, not allowing the Da Feng Army to succeed.
“What do you think, where did this army come from?”
“From within Ba Ling!” This time, the generals did not need to discuss; their views were unanimous: “The western part of the wilderness has poor soil and scarce water sources, and cannot support so many troops, so this army must have come from within Ba Ling.”
Did Ba Ling not want to send more personnel to the wilderness? Not at all.
Ba Ling has a few strongholds in the western wilderness, and the elite troops they could support combined were less than five or six thousand, with Wei City being relatively affluent.
Unlike Pan Long City, which is backed by the Chi Pa Plateau, with vast fertile lands owned by one family, allowing them to train strong soldiers.
The sudden appearance of so many Ba Ling people in the wilderness must have been a temporary mobilization from within the country.
“What do you think? Is the new commander of Ba Ling coming with such a large force to catch General Nan Ke off guard just to defend Wei City, to avenge Hua Mu Cuo, or is he coveting the little merchant goods in Pu Sha Gou?”
A military campaign must have a clear purpose.
If the commander’s goal is not clear or firm, how can he command thousands of troops?
Xiao Maoliang took a deep breath and understood: “His target is Pu Sha Gou, and more likely, it is us!”
They were calculating Wei City, but the Ba Ling people were also calculating them.
“Perhaps he also wants to meet me.” The man said lightly, “Since the enemy has ambitions, how could they be willing to hide in Wei City like a turtle? Whether we assist General Nan Ke or sneak attack Wei City, they will not be absent. Perhaps his plan is the same as mine, to encircle and capture the city.”
“Fortunately, the enemy does not know our troop strength.”
(End of Chapter)