Hellfire Ambush at Pakmangpa
It was a fire attack combined with an ambush. In case of failure: death -3. The corpses of Pakmangpa's soldiers piled up into mountains.
The mountainside turned sticky and slimy.
Pakmang's ridgeline exuded an atmosphere like a witch's forest from some fantasy world—grotesque enough to make you think this was it.
The soldiers' screams and war cries tangled together, drowned out by roaring curses, the whoosh of long weapons, dying gasps, and triumphant shouts echoing across the peaks, blanketing the mountains.
In the midst of this hellscape, Zhang Fei's cavalry charged like a awl, piercing straight through.
They bore down right up to the face of the fleeing Xiahou Dun, and Zhang Fei brought down his spear without hesitation.
"Protect the General!"
"Get out of the way! Move!!!"
(.........!)
Someone's head flew off, and Xiahou Dun barely clung to life.
With one thrust of Zhang Fei's spear, an enemy commander's neck tore open, his head rolling across the ground.
"Protect the General" were his final words.
Han Ho, whom Xiahou Dun cherished deeply, lost his head in a single strike.
Though Han Ho had once saved Xiahou Dun's life in the past, this time he couldn't save his own.
Xiahou Dun didn't even register Han Ho's death as he spurred his horse onward in blind flight.
The flames of Pakmangpa and the shouts of the Shu army left room for nothing but raw survival instinct.
"Run! We have to survive!"
Xiahou Dun's black steed was a fine warhorse; once it shook off the flames, it swiftly escaped Pakmangpa.
Zhang Fei's horses noticeably slowed.
As if the heavens themselves declared it wasn't time yet, the mounts of Zhang Fei's unit gradually exhausted their strength.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Arrrghhh!!!"
But slowed speed didn't mean zero lethality.
The riders stabbed, slashed, and crushed the enemy with their weapons.
"If your horse is tired, dismount! Get down and finish them off!!"
"Waaaaah!!!"
A warhorse was worth a hundred soldiers' lives.
Yet Zhang Fei issued the order without hesitation: if the horses tired, dismount and fight.
Shu's victory was that assured.
It was a one-sided slaughter, and Liu Bei's side had every justification for it.
This was a defensive war, after all.
The flames had died down, but as the smoke cleared, the stench of blood filled the air from all directions.
Shu's soldiers harvested the Wei troops methodically, like diligent farmers with spears and swords.
Their death toll exceeded twenty thousand.
Aaah. So this is what a fire attack and ambush look like.
*
"Hah... hah... Who the hell came up with this scheme?"
Having barely escaped with his life, Xiahou Dun met up with Yu Jin and Li Dian.
Li Dian had wisely detached soldiers to secure a bridgehead, which fortunately kept the enemy from pursuing.
"For now... General, you've preserved your life, so we should bide our time for another day. We need to retreat to Xu—"
Yu Jin couldn't even finish his sentence.
Xiahou Dun's eyes burned with murderous fury, still very much alive.
No one dared speak carelessly.
"Aaaargh!!!"
Xiahou Dun tore at his hair in a fit of rage.
"I must take responsibility for this defeat. Bind me and escort me back to Xu as a prisoner!"
"General, how can you say such a thing!"
Despite Yu Jin and Li Dian's pleas, Xiahou Dun was adamant.
"The soldiers are watching, General. Even in defeat, stand tall."
At Li Dian's words, Xiahou Dun's eyes snapped open, and he bellowed thunderously.
"Our army retreats to Xu!"
Liu Bei must be mad. Mobilizing his entire five thousand troops for a field battle when retreat was the obvious choice?
And losing despite the overwhelming numerical disadvantage. Who could have devised such a ploy?
"What am I supposed to tell Mengde...?"
Xiahou Dun glanced back at Pakmangpa, squeezed his eyes shut, and rode toward Xu.
The band following him numbered less than a thousand.
*
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the flames raging at Pakmangpa.
I might remember this day—the screams echoing across the entire mountain—for the rest of my life.
No regrets, though.
If I hadn't mentioned Uncle Gongming's book, we'd be the ones torn to shreds.
The enemy had suffered damage so severe they couldn't recover anytime soon, but this was just a portion of their forces.
I knew Zhang Jin's main army hadn't arrived yet, so I felt only a heavy unease amid the thick stench of blood from Pakmangpa.
"It's astonishing that it's not over yet."
It's not over yet.
I had a knack for killing the mood; the joy of victory fizzled out in an instant.
Mi Zhu, who remained with me, looked awkward and glanced at my expression.
"Even if troubles lie ahead, we should celebrate now."
He had a point. Mi Zhu was right for the moment.
"You're right. Have the captured enemy survivors detained at Xinyang Fortress, and if any supplies remain, bring them back."
Maintaining morale was crucial.
Even after pondering it, Mi Zhu was spot-on this time.
Mi Zhu beckoned, and a messenger hurried over.
He quickly noted my intentions. The messenger mounted with a bamboo slip in hand.
Mi Zhu still seemed curious, his eyes fixed on me.
"So, miss? Now that it's done, care to tell me? Why did you want to meet?"
"Might not need to anymore. It's not completely over."
Mi Zhu turned his head.
He gave off this vibe like he pitied himself.
It could be misinterpreted, but he might really not be needed now.
War profiteering had emerged.
Something I hadn't anticipated from the start.
Not that Mi Zhu was useless—more like he could synergize.
But now, no guarantor was needed. The real deal had appeared right before my eyes.
"That's not what I meant. I wanted to borrow rice. Now that we have rice, no need."
Not rice, exactly—his reputation.
Mi Zhu's pitiful gaze brightened a bit at my words. "Of course I'd lend it."
No, no. If this hadn't happened, you wouldn't have.
Anyway, this fierce battle would bring in massive rice hauls, and my share of the rations could be distributed to Soyang's lands.
Even Zhang Lian's bandit crew were Soyang's common folk, so the shares would be sweet.
Of course... it's not over.
"Urgent report! The enemy's momentum is unusual! Enemy force around 30,000! Led by Zhang Jin!"
I clutched my head.
Our trump cards were all played, and we weren't in any shape for a fair fight.
"I'll head to the site first. Not sure if there's a way, but it's too early to give up."
We had to buy time somehow.
Until Uncle Gongming arrived, I'd handle it somehow.
"Mi Zhu, I'm leaving Xinyang in your hands."
I entrusted Xinyang Fortress to Mi Zhu and headed toward Pakmang Fortress.
*
Pakmangpa was living hell.
No urge to vomit.
Deep down, I'd already braced for this.
If these scattered corpses were Shu troops, I'd be retching—but they weren't.
"Truly... truly splendid, miss."
Liu Bei took my hand.
He'd set up a temporary camp where the troops had been stationed at Pakmangpa, feeding and resting the soldiers.
"No, it was just a small trick."
Guan Yu stroked his beard.
"No small trick, miss. I won't underestimate you as a child anymore."
Guan Yu was intimidating, but less so than Zhang Fei.
That faint smile said it all.
"Too early to celebrate victory. We must prepare for the next wave—the enemy numbers around 30,000."
Liu Bei, at the head seat, asked confidently.
"Do you have another scheme, miss?"
I shook my head.
"No. We just have to hold out."
"And how do we hold out?"
My seat was right beside Liu Bei.
No sign of Uncle Zhao Yun.
"We can't use the same method twice. So we'll block this narrow pass as best we can."
The textbook chokepoint defense.
But the path here was a road to hell.
"We'll leave the enemy corpses as is to instill fear. Use horn pipes to sow confusion, maximize arrows and rolling rocks to delay their advance."
And we had one more thing to exploit.
"Rice wagons are scattered everywhere. Use them for materials."
The enemy's supplies were effectively unlimited.
From Hefei to Xinyang was flat terrain.
Not a straight shot, of course, but no logistics issues.
But after this battle, our army's supplies were unlimited too.
"Extract the rice separately and stockpile it at Xinyang. If worst comes to worst and Xinyang falls, ask Mi Zhu to burn it all."
No one raised objections.
That only made me more uneasy.
I didn't think I was infallible.
"Speak freely if you have counterarguments."
No one replied. So this is how it feels inside.
In summary: block the entrance and fight a muddy slog atop corpse piles.
Anyone could object, but no one stepped up.
"Our army... will do its utmost to hold."
I'd said all the grim stuff; time for some hopeful news.
"Word from Jiangxia. They've mobilized and are heading here—over 20,000, excluding minimal garrison for security."
"Kiyaa!"
Zhang Fei whooped, and faces brightened a touch.
"But... I'm not sure we can hold until Jiangxia's forces arrive. The enemy is at our doorstep, our troops exhausted—no way the math works out... Huh?"
Someone entered the command tent.
A burly face I recognized from somewhere.
"Give me just a hundred men. I'll make sure not a single one crosses that bridge they built."
Dad. You're alive?
"If Ma goes, I must too. Block the bridge, and we won't even need to fight the bastards!!!"
Zhang Fei roared his own bold vow. "Then... will you hold it? The Pakmang bridgehead?"
Their serious faces convinced me.
Whatever. If it's Pakmangpa Season 2, just hold for half a day, please.