Capítulo 722: Chapter 296: Keen Instincts, Rallying the Troops, Bai Qiucheng’s Cunning Scheme
The rest of the people on Long Mountain also came to their senses, their expressions slightly sinking. Looking into the depths of the dark tunnel, their eyes showed a lot of alertness.
Seeing that everyone had been awakened by her words, the solemnity and alertness on their faces made Li Xuanling’s eyebrows furrow slightly. She confidently said, “No need for that. Before dawn, I already said, the more Xia Hong uses his tricks, the happier I am because it proves that Xia Hong doesn’t have the strength to confront us directly and can only use these unsophisticated tactics to try to contend with the might of Long Mountain’s forces!”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s spirits were lifted, and the dismay on their faces instantly diminished a lot.
Indeed, after Wushuang’s failed attempt last night, Li Xuanling immediately convened them along with the Longyou Army to clarify the matter of Great Xia’s retreat. She had said these words at the time, almost receiving unanimous agreement from everyone.
True, if Great Xia truly had the strength to contend with the Longyou Army, they wouldn’t resort to such tricks, such as pretending to send reinforcements to Wushuang, or deliberately giving scouts false information to affect Long Mountain’s morale.
To put it bluntly, isn’t it out of fear?
Since they’re afraid, it proves that Great Xia’s military strength in Longyou is inferior to Long Mountain.
With such a premise, what is there for them to worry about?
“Leader, in that case, let’s advance into the Beehive tonight! Great Xia only has four thousand men going over. Even with the Beehive’s people, it wouldn’t add up to more than five thousand. There’s still no way they can block the Longyou Army.”
“Right, the brothers missed their chance last night and have pent-up frustration. They’re ready to fight hard at the Beehive and completely drive Great Xia out of Longyou.”
“This time Great Xia made a miscalculation. Xia Hong probably thought the Beehive was hidden enough underground for us not to find it, which is why he retreated there with his people.”
“Ridiculous, among the eleven families of Longyou, don’t we, Long Mountain, know the situation of each camp? They think they can escape by going into a cave, what wishful thinking!”
“The Beehive Station is underground, with twenty-nine tunnels leading to the main area. Long Mountain knows all about these once we attack inside and it’s shut the door to fight the dog. Those Great Xia people won’t be able to escape even if they wanted to.”
……
Everyone spoke one after another about Great Xia retreating to the Beehive, each emitting more or less a few cold laughs.
Great Xia may not understand what the name of the master of Longyou signifies.
Long Mountain’s dominance isn’t just for show. Over forty years, the stations of the eleven giant camps below Longyou have long been clearly known by Long Mountain. As long as Great Xia remains in Longyou, they shouldn’t expect to find a safe place.
However, Li Xuanling still refused everyone’s request to advance into the Beehive tonight.
She shook her head slightly and said, “No rush, we’re holding Wushuang. Great Xia only has the Beehive and Hanqiong as their stations now. As long as they don’t retreat from Longyou, they ultimately can’t avoid the Longyou Army. The urgent task is to first let the three thousand Longyou Army boost morale and minimize the impact of last night’s moral defeat so that the subsequent battles can be cleaner and more efficient with fewer casualties;
Additionally, there’s the matter of the scouts!”
At this point, Li Xuanling glanced at Li Xuanping and Li Xuanqiu and continued:
“The Beehive Station is located about a hundred meters underground, with twenty-nine tunnels connecting to the main area. Before preparing to advance this time, we must scout out the situation, confirm whether Great Xia intends to defend the Beehive and how many they have defending it. Otherwise, we shouldn’t advance rashly. If we get led by the nose and miss the chance again, it’ll be a real big joke.”
Hearing this, everyone immediately nodded in agreement.
“Tonight, my third brother, Meng Ying, Cheng Guang, and I will go together to scout the Beehive. All of you stay at Wushuang. I’ll send someone to notify you when the army sets off.”
“Understood, my lord!”
Li Xuanling waved her hand, took one last look at the tunnel, and her expression showed a hint of solemnity.
She could sense it; Great Xia was different from any enemy Long Mountain had dealt with before; just seeing the two tunnels in Wushuang revealed a bit of this truth.
Xia Hong is not a simple character. In terms of strength, means, cunning, and strategy, he doesn’t lose to her, nor to anyone in Long Mountain.
In fact, Li Xuanling had always felt that Xia Hong resembled someone very much.
Someone whom she had admired since childhood and regarded as a deity.
Facing such a person, she had no choice but to muster twelve times the spirit to respond with utmost caution.
The formidable Long Mountain legacy left by her father, the vast territory of Longyou, including the lives and futures of hundreds of the Li Family’s offspring, could very likely hang in the balance of this battle.
If defeated, it would be a total loss.
“Compared to Great Xia, Long Mountain’s biggest advantage is the home-court play and the three thousand Longyou Army in my hands, aimed at driving Great Xia out of Longyou with minimum costs. Not knowing Xia Hong’s next move, the three thousand Longyou Army must not act recklessly.”
If the three thousand Longyou Army suffers a loss, even with home-court advantage, Long Mountain would have no advantage against Great Xia; the final outcome is all too predictable.
Li Xuanling frowned slightly and took the crowd back rapidly to the Wushuang Camp.
She still needs to figure out how to continue addressing the morale problem of the Longyou Army.
The troops must be ensured of the fullest morale to battle Great Xia; otherwise, too many losses would be unbearable for Long Mountain.
Who knows, as Second Uncle said, whether Great Xia has other forces behind the three ten-kilometer-long Black Stone Walls.
……
The forty-eighth year of Longyou, June twenty-second, the first half of the night
At Baiyuan Camp, Bai Qiucheng, together with his two Cold Resistance Levels, stood on the top floor of the main building, looking at the northern entrance of the camp.
At the location of the entrance, a large group of people was lining up to move inside.
It was visible that this group had attire slightly different from Baiyuan locals, mostly red, and some even wore blood-colored armor, evidently dressed in the previous style of the Zhaoyang Blood Guards.
“Big brother, are you truly prepared to merge with Zhaoyang and join Long Mountain together?”
Bai Qiuping looked at the Zhaoyang people stepping into the camp, his gaze sinking, and couldn’t help but ask Bai Qiucheng in front.
Baiyuan had long planned to merge with Zhaoyang.
Back in April, when there was a rivalry between Zhaoyang and Long Mountain, Bai Qiucheng almost died at the hands of Li Xuantian, and was finally saved by the Blood Guard Army, naturally choosing to bring the camp into Zhaoyang, joining Hou Hu’s side.
Subsequent events took a surprising turn, as Great Xia intervened in Longyou, preventing Zhaoyang and Long Mountain from an all-out conflict, resulting in Longyou being split into three. Analyzing it carefully, those who suffered the most were actually the ten families that didn’t directly participate in the rivalry.
Yang Lu disappeared due to the revival of the Deceitful Monster;
Yucheng, Songyuan, and Changning’s leaders were killed, all swallowed up by Long Mountain;
Hanqiong, Beehive, and Wushuang were swallowed by Great Xia;
Xiling, Dongyuan, and their Baiyuan were merged into Long Mountain, factually swallowed by Zhaoyang.
So, from another perspective, it was those ten families that ended up with the short end of the stick in the three-way rivalry.
Things that followed became even stranger.
Zhaoyang wants to ally with Long Mountain to deal with Great Xia,
Regarding the 800 sets of war armor, Baiyuan was well aware. Who would’ve thought Great Xia would strike first, not only destroying the new Longyou Army, seizing the war armor but also crushing the Blood Guard Army, capturing several Cold Resistance Levels from Zhaoyang, and nearly killing Hou Hu.
Now Hou Hu plans to bring Zhaoyang into Long Mountain.
If Zhaoyang’s merging, Baiyuan, which had previously merged into Zhaoyang, has even less reason to worry.
Bai Qiuping’s dissatisfaction stems from here. They first merged with Zhaoyang, and now have to follow Zhaoyang to merge with Long Mountain, such drifting along with the tide feeling is extremely frustrating.
Of course, the most crucial point is the current strength of Zhaoyang.
Hou Hu is heavily injured, the Blood Guard Army is gone, and Zhaoyang only has a bit more Cold Resistance Level than Baiyuan. There’s no need for them to join Zhaoyang’s side to merge.
Instead of becoming a bargaining chip for Hou Hu to merge into Long Mountain, it would be better to enter Long Mountain under Baiyuan’s name; in terms of treatment and future position in Long Mountain, it would obviously be much better.
Bai Qiuping could instantly see through his brother’s thoughts and said with a smile, “Who said we’re merging with Zhaoyang?”
Bai Qiuping’s attention was immediately sharpened upon hearing this.
“Let the Zhaoyang people go to Long Mountain first! We Baiyuan are not part of them. I’ll soon go to see Leader Li to discuss our Baiyuan joining.”