The Demon Lords-Chapter 684 - 133 Majestic_2

"Yes, I understand."

"Liumuer, move your troops out of Guanzhong, through the Snow Sea. Blockade the east side of Ming'an City and prevent the Yan people from escaping eastward."

"Yes!"

"A Ge, converge your troops from the western military camp towards Ming'an City. Blockade the west side and prevent the Yan people from escaping westward!"

"Yes, I understand!"

"As for my troops, we'll follow the trail of those Yan soldiers, tailing them from Fengxin City, until the opportunity is ripe..."

"BANG!"

Geremu slammed his palm-covered wine glass onto the table.

"We'll eliminate them!"

「…」

Jin Shuke silently crouched beneath a large tree, blending into the surrounding dry grass. Beside him, the Eldest Prince maintained the same posture.

Actually, they were already within the patrol range of the wild people outside Ming'an City. From time to time, wild people sentries would pass nearby.

Jin Shuke silently pulled out a handful of fried noodles from his clothes, stuffed them into his mouth, and chewed slowly. Even while eating, his gaze remained as sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the city wall ahead.

After swallowing the fried noodles, Jin Shuke took out his waterskin, took a sip, and then whispered, "My lord, look. The number of wild people patrolling outside the encampment and around here hasn't increased much, but the liveliness inside the encampment has clearly diminished significantly."

The wild people's encampment had always been filled with nightly revelry. According to General Zheng's previous description, these individuals, driven mad by the bitter cold of the Snow Plains, were like a pack of poodles unleashed from their cages upon entering Jin land.

Jin Shuke had no idea what kind of beast a "poodle" was. But he could guess from General Zheng's tone at the time that it must be an incredibly energetic species.

The current silence indicated that the wild people inside had indeed become wary.

Indeed, it wasn't that the wild people were poor actors; it was because he and the Eldest Prince were too close. At such a distance, unless all the wild people were master aclass actors, it would be utterly impossible for them not to reveal their intentions.

The Eldest Prince nodded. "Should we wait until nightfall?"

"Yes, wait until nightfall, my lord. Are we attacking the encampments outside the city, or charging the gate?"

"Attacking the encampments outside the city will make it easier for us to advance or retreat."

"True, that's safer."

Jin Shuke agreed.

The two maintained this posture, waiting until nightfall.

Just then, a barbarian soldier approached from behind.

Jin Shuke turned his head and whispered to him, "Are all our men here?"

"Sir, everyone is here. We're just awaiting your order."

Two hundred meters behind them, their horses' hooves were wrapped in cloth and their mouths were muzzled to ensure maximum stealth.

Jin Shuke rose, stretching his somewhat stiff body. "Alright, tell the brothers to shed all unnecessary burdens. Follow me, and we charge! But remember, don't charge recklessly. This time, you're not here to fight to the death!"

"Yes, Sir."

Still somewhat worried, Jin Shuke reached out and grabbed the shoulder of the Eldest Prince, who was about to turn back. "My lord, perhaps it would be better to switch your mount."

The Eldest Prince shook his head. "I'm not switching."

Among a group of warhorses, a Pixiu was indeed highly conspicuous. The advantage of a night raid for the attackers was that whether advancing or retreating, they could do so with more ease. But that didn't mean the defenders were fools. When they pursued, they would certainly prioritize what they perceived to be the most valuable target.

But since the Eldest Prince was so resolute, Jin Shuke said no more. Ultimately, he was aware of the prince's status and didn't truly consider himself the prince's superior. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Everyone mounted their horses.

With a long cry from Jin Shuke, they began their charge.

Usually, before a defensive siege, the defenders would clear the trees near the city to avoid giving an advantage to the attackers. However, the wild people garrisoned in Ming'an City hadn't done this. This was why Jin Shuke's small detachment of fewer than two hundred men could infiltrate so deeply under the cover of the woods before launching their 'surprise' attack.

However, this charge seemed somewhat tentative. After lobbing a few torches towards the perimeter of the enemy encampment and seeing them begin to react, Jin Shuke immediately ordered a retreat.

Instantly, several units of wild people, totaling several thousand cavalry, surged out from the encampment in pursuit.

Both sides were putting on a show, cooperating with each other, so everything proceeded with extraordinary smoothness. It was as if everyone was taking their cues, stepping onto the stage in turn; the lighting, backdrop, and props—everything came together with superb rhythm.

「In Ming'an City」

Wanda ascended the city tower, gazing in the direction of the pursuit.

"Alangtai has already gone after them, hasn't he?"

"Yes, Chieftain."

"Heh, send word for everyone to be on alert. The main Yan Army force might attack the city soon."

"Yes, Chieftain. By the way, Chieftain, during their earlier attack, I saw someone in their formation riding a Pixiu."

"A Pixiu?" Wanda chuckled. "It seems everything is as Geremu predicted. That Geremu, despite being of Jin descent, is quite astute.

"If there's a formidable individual among the Yan troops, then the subsequent assault on the city by the main Yan Army will be ferocious. Tell the warriors to brace themselves. This time, we must annihilate these Yan people here at Ming'an City.

"That Pixiu and its master will be my gift to the King, to make up for my tribe's earlier reluctance when we delayed pledging allegiance to him.

"Sigh, if only I had known things would turn out this way, we should have pledged allegiance to the King much sooner. My tribe would likely have had better prospects under his banner. Thinking about it now, it's truly regrettable.

"Therefore, we absolutely cannot miss this opportunity!"

"Yes, Chieftain!"

「…」

The commotion at the foot of Ming'an City was like a rehearsal, or perhaps a signal.

Once Alangtai's troops began their pursuit, the other three Myriarchs, hearing of the movement, immediately started advancing their forces toward Ming'an City, thereby tightening the noose around the main Yan Army. The fish had taken the bait; naturally, it was time to draw in the net.

Geremu, on his warhorse, led his troops in a relentless charge. As the encirclement steadily tightened, the probability of encountering the main Yan Army grew ever larger. Consequently, everyone, from the Myriarchs down to the ordinary wild people warriors, dared not slacken their pace, instead growing increasingly tense.

This stifling atmosphere persisted until the faint light of dawn, and Geremu's heart began to sink lower and lower.

A whole night has passed, so why haven't we encountered the main Yan Army yet?

He didn't believe the Yan people could have escaped. The Yan Army had nearly ten thousand cavalry; it was practically impossible for them to slip out of the encirclement silently.

It wasn't until Geremu heard his subordinates report contact with the outer cavalry of the other divisions that he took a deep, panicked breath. This meant the main Yan Army wasn't here at all!

A surge of anger began to rise in Geremu's heart. In the wild people tribes, being a "Jin person," he had always prided himself on his intellect, believing he was far smarter than these wild people. Only their King had ever made him lie low.

But this time, I've clearly been tricked!

Whether it was the tracks of the main Yan Army force that my own unit had been following, or the Yan scouts attacking small wild people units and causing a disturbance at Ming'an City—it had all been a feint! And I, meanwhile, had walked step by step into the trap set by the Yan people!

Then, a sudden sense of dread washed over him as a thought struck Geremu. The Yan people, who had painstakingly set this trap for me to fall into... where are they now?

「…」

"Oh dear, I'm exhausted! I can't go on. I need to get down and stretch my legs."

General Zheng dismounted and did a few warm-up exercises.

Behind him, a vast number of Shengle Knights also dismounted to rest.

Liang Cheng stood beside Zheng Fan, his gaze serious as he observed their surroundings.

Zheng Fan grinned and said, "I have to admit, this Snow Sea Pass looks quite imposing."