The Demon Lords-Chapter 705 - 146 Beat the Drum and Gather the Generals_4

"So, it is safe to say that there is fundamentally no issue in holding this city?"

"Thanks to the Sword Saint who killed Geremu that day."

Without Geremu, the wild people lost their most prestigious commander. Although Geremu was from the Jin people, he was the first to risk all he had and faithfully follow the King of the Wild People. He was also their most proficient siege expert.

What Zheng Fan and Liang Cheng did not know was that the previous attacks by the wild people on the Situ Family's two cities on the tundra and then on Snow Sea Pass were due not only to the internal collaboration led by Situ Yi's brothers. On the battlefield, particularly in city siege warfare, Geremu's command put considerable pressure on the Cheng State's defensive army. This created the opportunity for an inside-outside coordinated attack by Situ Yi's brothers. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

At the same time, the Jin Army under Geremu, which was most familiar with siege warfare, had now been plunged into low morale.

"Basically, there is no big problem now, unless the King of the Wild People appoints a great general to lead a group of elite troops from the front line to regroup here and start a new siege."

Upon hearing this "unless," Zheng Fan laughed.

Apparently, even the prudent General Zheng didn't take this "unless" seriously.

On the Wang River frontline, he faces not the old Eldest Prince but Lord Jingnan! You're welcome to pull out a great general and elites to come back and siege the city. Will you dare to face Lord Jingnan?

As a top student of Lord Jingnan, Zheng Fan wholeheartedly believed in Lord Jingnan's military prowess. Currently, Lord Jingnan had more than 80,000 troops under his command, consisting of both his Jingnan army and the North Garrison Army, not to mention the troops from other parts of Yan State and from Cheng State.

General Zheng truly felt bold enough, armed with a combination of the One Yang Finger and Lion's Roar Skill, to swaggeringly shout at the King of the Wild People, "Come on, come at me!"

After escorting Zheng Fan back to the rear wall, Liang Cheng glanced at the situation in front and said, "It seems that it will be very difficult for the wild people to break through our front door."

In his words, there seemed to be some regret that his designs could not be implemented.

Zheng Fan, leaning against the battlements, stretched and said, "So, we're all set here. Next, it all depends on how Lord Jingnan disrupts the front line of the wild people, right?"

With the loss of a Sword Saint, plus my own person and the grand charge of the 10,000 Shengle Army, Snow Sea Pass is effectively locked down. Next up, Tian Wujing, it's your turn with the pen.

「The story now branches.」

Both sides of the Wang River had been quite lively recently.

The Yan Army, on several occasions, lined up at multiple points, making a posture of attack. The wild people, on the other hand, responded with corresponding deployments to every move made by the Yan Army.

However, the Yan people only displayed battle arrays and changed guards; they hadn't attempted a serious attack over all these days. The Wang River had clearly frozen over, but it seemed as if the Yan people had not thought about taking advantage of this change in weather bestowed by the heavens.

The wild people, however, still maintained their previous style. Whatever the Yan Army did, they responded in kind. They were always prepared to retreat if the situation turned unfavorable. Whether they would truly retreat or dare to confront the Yan Army was something the Yan Army could only speculate.

So, with the Wang River as the dividing line, hundreds of thousands of troops from both sides, like two civilian martial arts "masters" in a display, circled each other, constantly posturing. One side was in a White Crane Spreading Wings stance, while the other was in a Praying Mantis Fist stance; one side posed as a Black Tiger Stealing Heart, while the other fiercely displayed its Eagle Claw.

In short, neither side made a move; instead, they just circled around, keeping the spectators on their toes.

Inside the King of the Wild People's command tent, the King of the Wild People read the latest intelligence from the rear.

Geremu... dead. Killed by the Sword Saint of Jin State.

The King of the Wild People wanted to laugh. He felt this was the most laughable news he had heard this year!

In the midst of a war, Geremu, killed by an expert from the enemy army on the very frontline!

Fortunately, the King of the Wild People did not lose his sanity and didn't laugh out loud. Instead, he just glanced at A'lai, who had just handed him the military intelligence, and asked, "The courier..."

A'lai immediately replied, "My King, I have executed him."

The news of Snow Sea Pass's fall absolutely could not be allowed to spread among the troops. If everyone knew that the Yan people had blocked their way home, even the brightest stars in the sky wouldn't be able to stabilize the turbulent morale of the army.

"My King, shall we send more people back there..."

The King of the Wild People shook his head, saying, "Our adversary is none other than the Southern Marquis from Yan."

Truly a worthy opponent.

"Your Highness, our cavalry has already blocked all incoming routes from the east. The Southern Marquis of Yan across from us should be unaware that Snow Sea Pass has already…"

The King of the Wild People raised his hand to his forehead, sighed, and said, "I know."

"Huh?" A'lai did not understand.

"I said, I know."

"Well…"

Of course I know that you already know, My King.

"Unless I didn't know. But in reality, I knew long ago that Snow Sea Pass had fallen. That's why I deliberately presented an unfazed posture to the Yan Army across from us, to make them think Snow Sea Pass was secure and that our rear was untroubled."

"Yes, Your Highness, so why…"

The King of the Wild People gritted his teeth. "Because I knew, all my subsequent actions have been a pretense! I wanted to deceive the Southern Marquis of Yan into thinking our rear was secure, that we were ready to retreat to the snowfields at any time. Just to see if he'd dare to cross the river and test us! But… During this time, as the Southern Marquis of Yan incessantly mobilized troops on the opposite bank, I also had to continuously shift my own forces in response. Even the most clever of lies, when told too many times, will eventually expose a flaw. After I learned Snow Sea Pass had fallen, everything I did, every response, had a layer of artificiality to it. Others might not see through it. But that Southern Marquis of Yan…"

"He... he could detect it?"

The King of the Wild People violently wiped his face with both hands, took a deep breath, shook his head, and said, "I have no idea."

「On the opposite shore, in the Eastern Expeditionary Army's command tent.」

Li Fusheng lifted the curtain and entered. He knelt on one knee to salute Lord Jingnan, saying, "This general greets you, My Lord. Why have you summoned me?"

"Did you sense it?"

"Huh?" Li Fusheng didn't understand.

Damn it, what a broad question!

Li Fusheng found himself missing that young man, Zheng Fan. That fellow knew how to talk and was good at figuring people out. If he were here, he probably could have answered this.

"Did you sense it?" Lord Jingnan asked again.

Li Fusheng, who reveled in slaughter, could only brace himself and reply, "This general is dull-witted. Dare I ask, My Lord, what am I supposed to have sensed?"

Lord Jingnan raised his hand, pointed to the east, and said, "There might be something wrong in the rear of the wild people."

"Huh?"

How did you sense that, My Lord? Can you tell fortunes?

However, Li Fusheng dared not ask that question. In front of this white-haired Lord, this murderous Commander-in-Chief of the North Garrison Army truly dared not show the slightest disrespect. Though he had heard that Lord Jingnan's ancestor was supposedly a Mystic Cultivator, so it would be reasonable if Lord Jingnan himself possessed some mystic abilities. But as an experienced general, Li Fusheng absolutely refused to believe that Lord Jingnan would use fortune-telling to plan a battle. That would be utter nonsense!

Lord Jingnan did not seem to intend to explain. He just silently stood up and said, "Sound the drum to assemble the generals."